Where do you see technology & education developing next? How do you think the symbiotic relationship between the two will evolve over the next 10 year

I think the walls will come down in the K-12 environment, out goes the “no electronic” policies that most schools have to prevent students from the distractions of texting in class or using the technology to cheat on exams, Googling answers, and out goes the traditional text books. I think students will have the option to do more apprenticeship learning and distance education, such as take a foreign language online rather than a 9^th grade language class.

"Prediction is difficult- particularly when it involves the future." Mark Twain

How can authentic learning tools improve student engagement and deepen learning? What does the apprenticeship model tell us about learning? (5/19)

It goes without saying that the 21^st century learner is tech savvy and in fact continuously connected electronically. Educators are recognizing that the best way to reach these learners is through the constructivist model of “doing rather that listening”.

The X-Box, Nintendo, text message, ipod, and Youtube generation understands and utilizes technology for their learning. They often get their news; learn new dances and journal their life experiences on Youtube, Blogs, Facebook or Myspace, rather than newspapers, magazines or even television.

Educators must recognize that integrating technology in the traditional curriculum creates authentic learning experience for the 21^st century student. Even more, the new generation of educators, 21^st century learners themselves, recognizes the value of web based, interactive curriculums. These applications provide simulated authentic learning experiences. An excellent example of interactive learning is a program called Froguts. Froguts allows the learner to dissect a frog, squid or owl pellet virtually. This authentic learning experience allows the learner to really engage in the process, unlike the real life experiment, it allows the learner to make errors, which then allows the learner to do it multiple times, until they have a true understanding of the concept, rather than the “one shot”, hands on classroom experiments.

The constructivist model is in fact an apprenticeship model which is based on learning while doing. This model goes back many centuries and in all cultures. Knowledge, culture and traditions are passed on from old to young, from expert to novice. This model exists in many professional arenas such as student teacher/mentor teacher, medical resident-intern/physician. Vygotsky’s, Zone of Proximal development defines our apprenticeship learning even in the early stage of childhood development. Cognitive apprenticeship describes a learning environment where students learn form teacher in a constructivist learning model. Brent would tell you that in teaching his students skills such as horse shoeing or welding, he practices and apprenticeship model or cognitive apprenticeship

Why do educational organizations choose to employ portfolios? What value does the use of rubrics in evaluating activities and portfolios bring? How c

Portfolio’s has been a long standing requirement in teacher education; generally students would create a portfolio in their student teaching that is then carried forward to the job interview. The use of e-portfolio is now a growing trend in other professional arenas and with the wide use of technology it’s generally digitized. The portfolio allows a learner to collect and present evidence of strengths and competencies, gained either in their academic experience or in the professional workplace. The “activity” of creating the portfolio creates awareness/mindfulness on the students part of their of their academic/professional achievement.

The same role that rubrics play in the academic community is what it plays in portfolio evaluations. Rubrics establish clear standards and create a guideline in designing the portfolio for a specific position or course and for the reviewer in evaluating the portfolio.

Peer review provides the learner with peripheral vision. Peers provide multiple perspectives (Gardner – MI) and feedback that allows you to think beyond your own experience (Vygotsky – ZPD).

What is the role of an electronic portfolio in my ongoing academic and professional career in educational technology? (5/05)

At this point an e-portfolio will have value for a number of reasons. One, it will allow me to start a collection of my work in and outside of the OMET experience.
Allows me to maintain intellectual ownership of my work and work in which I contributed. allows for ongoing construction of work completed and demonstration of academic mastery and growth as I continue my learning and professional development.

An e-portfolio enhances and brings to life the traditional resume/CV, providing a platform to present evidence of academic and professional achievement to prospective or current employer(s).

More importantly, it will allow me to be more reflective in my career planning and decision making. At my age, there is little time left to explore, but rather to make a shift that will take me into my retirement years. The activity of building an e-portfolio will assist in creating a clear vision in constructing a career change or shift.

Utilizing the format of an electronic portfolio allows for:
• Various sections w/in the portfolio to present to different stakeholders (flexibility)
• Portability (web based)
• Utilizing graphics, sound, audio and video demonstrates technology competency

Final Reflection on Learning by Design

Contemplating Understanding by Design over coffee….
UbD is a common sense approach to any project---whether you’re planning a wedding, a curriculum unit or you planning to build a shopping center. The process of UbD/backward mapping is a valuable tool.

I had a hard time initially wrapping my brain around the text, but that’s because I started reading the book thinking only k-12 and since I have no experience in k-12 I naturally couldn’t relate to the reading. Once, I put aside that idea and thought about k-12, and thought about UbD and it’s implications in other parts of my work, it started to make sense.

If you take the UbD template and use it as a project management tool, it’s a guideline:
Stage 1 – Desired Result – Essential Questions > gaining understanding of participants in the overall project goal is critical.
Stage 2 –Assessment Evidence > Designing evaluative Cycles - calibrating members understanding and progress
Stage 3- Learning Plan > the actual project design – the work flow.

Similar to the classroom, the workplace has a diversity of learners (understanding). In project planning or workflow design, the models of differentiated instruction can also be applied. Identifying and understanding each team member’s strength in creating workgroups assures productivity. It also allows a project manager to design the project in a way that clearly communicates the goal, structure and timeline. Simple example, if Jack doesn’t pay attention to emails or work well with text, it’s a given that after a memo, email or project timeline is sent, that his supervisor may then pull jack and verbally communicate those expectations.

Eureka!
UbD = action research- Hypothesis -> lit review -> cycles, research, assessment -> results

4/7 – In your current professional environment, how are educational experiences or program assessed? Is the evidence collected from the assessment use

At the Graduate school that I was employed, the program is assessed through the WASC accreditation and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) accreditation. The university responds to standards by those accrediting agencies. The standards set by those agencies are valid and research based, but given the fact that those reviews are generally every five years, the process is lacking. Assessment should be continuous, similar to action research. I can’t say absolutely that’s not happening, since at the level that I work, perhaps I am not privy to it…but then again, if it were truly intensive, we (all) would be part of the assessment process. There then, is the weakness in the “assessment”, lack of participation from all members of the CoP.

Student learning assessment is generally done through the traditional route, test, papers, and projects. This year our teacher education students will be required to complete a series of assessment referred to by the CCTC as TPA's (Teacher Performance Assessment). TPA's are a series of activities in which the teacher candidate demonstrates their competencies of curriculum design. Candidates writes a lesson demonstrating their skills a differentiating instruction, they then tape themselves delivering that lesson in their student teaching assignment. TPA's have a lot of strengths. Since it's a structured model, it calibrates teacher preparation programs, assuring that all programs meet a minimum standard in teacher preparation. TPA's or the PACT model are designed and based on research. Built in to both models are a continuous process of evaluation and res-design. This force, programs to do continuous evaluation and self study.

Blog: From your experience in OMET thus far, what design practice has resonated with you the most? Why? (3/3)

Focus on your own learning:

I see the backward design model coming into play in our OMET experience. Fall term was focused on our own learning. Margaret mentioned this last term and now I’m starting to see it coming into place. In Action Research we started Summer Term and continued into Fall Term with our own learning, understanding the concept of action research, defining our action research project, a doing our lit review on the topic was all about our own personal knowledge. Bill Moseley’s class “Educating Today’s Learners” was focused on learning theorist, how those theories apply to our own personal learning styles. Gary’s class “Learning and Technology” while experimenting with different technology forums for the K-12 learner, also allowed us to reflect our own learning as we experimented with each learning adventure. It also allowed us to view how others were responding to the learning adventure, thus giving insight to others learning styles.

Another insight I had about last term was looking from the inside out…I could see how the faculty’s design of the learning was in many way them modeling for us what is expected this term. For example Bill’s use of Second Life focused on learning theorist, and our understanding of those theories and their application, but also how it reflected in our own learning style. Second life was clearly designed for the visual, auditory, tactile learner. SL creates a sense of touching and feeling, although virtual, in distributed learning curriculums.

Margaret’s preferred use of Wiki’s is designed for collaboration as well as independent work. Geared toward the analytical thinker, its best used to construct the document, maintain notes. Her experiment with us constructing a Gliffy timeline was rather interesting. Gliffy is a collaborative, creative, visual tool. I can see this being a wonderful tool for the abstract thinker to use their imagination in creating a rather routine task, such as a historical timeline.

Taking into consideration the activities that we experienced already and what we’ve learned about learning theory, connecting the two is where the analysis begins.

Gary’s class was distinctly geared towards the visual, right brain, musical learner. He really brought home Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence. In that each of his learning adventures, stretched a different part of your brain, your thinking and your sense of fun. He also focused on team learning, where the information was shared through the forum discussions. Each member’s thought and input contributed to the groups understanding of the adventure.

Designing learning for others

This term is about designing learning for others, such as the current assignment that we have in which we’re using UDd to design a lesson, which well teach to others. Paul’s mentoring class focuses on our mentoring others.

We’ve experienced a number of instructional forums and strategies in OMET thus far, I’m assuming that each professor gives consideration to the forum he utilizes and chooses the forum in consideration of the various learning styles in the Cadre. However, I think in the case of OMET, they have to go beyond consideration of learning styles, since they want to expose us to as many of the instructional technology forums and their uses as possible.

Reflecting on the forums they used, connecting what I now understand about learning styles and learning theories, I feel more confident about creating (designing) curriculums for others, which seems to be the focus of this term.

I feel more confident in my design of forums for cycle I of my action research as well as introducing forums in my mentoring relationship.

Habit#2: Begin with the end in mind

Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

In your ARP, are your learners engaged in their learning? Why or why not? (2/25)

Again, since I just started Cycle 1 of my ARP, I can’t respond to this question. I can say that I believe the participants that I have selected, based on my experience of them will be fully engaged in the learning. All of my participants are members of an academic community. They’ve expressed a desire in the group, because they are looking to find a greater meaning and growth in their professional lives. Members have recognized that in the current workplace, employers are no longer loyal to their employees and therefore they must be self guided, They must have a clear focus and direction in their careers and remain marketable and flexible. Flexibility means to have the tools to make changes quickly or adapt to changes quickly. Refining and enhancing technology skills allows for more employment flexibility. For the older worker, it creates an opportunity to compete and stay relevant in the workplace against younger, tech savvy co-workers.