The Freshman Experience

How would a paperless class change your role as a teacher?

If I had a paperless classroom, I would truly feel more like a facilitator than a teacher. Students could spend more time looking up answers and guiding their own learning.  I really like ANGEL or BlackBoard and try to post all the assignments on that vehicle and have the “collected” through the vehicle. I handle very little paper. The problem I have is this- for those students at home, not all have computers. Some are using computers that are very old and outdated. It is difficult to trade information with them.

How would paperless classes change learning?

As I said above, I think the paperless class room would allow students to guide their own learning and discern what references are better than others. Hopefully, they would learn to connect ideas and people together in a way we don’t now. I do not think that methodology would be appropriate for all students.

How would you measure learning in a paperless class?

I would set up rubrics like this class has modeled. Students would need to self assess and I would also have some group assessment if students worked in groups. It is too easy for students to let others do it.

Would a paperless space make it easier or harder to build a learning network? Why?

I think it would be easier to set up a learning network because it is easier to connect through the internet than ever before. It brings new issues of communication. As I have found through the wikis, just because you can connect, it doesn’t mean you are communicating. I still believe many of these technological tools are just that–tools. There is a place for working alone and thinking alone. Some of us even like it (Me being one). Groups and connectivity have their place, but I don’t believe they can be the over riding method in teaching. I’ve never known a method yet that appeals to all students. Even in the class I teach, I have lessons on ANGEL and lessons in class. Some students pass by doing all the lessons on line and some pass by coming to class. The combination makes it so students end up benefitting (I hope).

“Teaching is Conversation, Not Lecture”

How has this shift affected your teaching practice so far?

I have always taught a class that didn’t require lecture. First I taught home ec and then special education. Neither lent themselves to lecture, so I have always used a more “hands on” approach. I choose this because I don’t see lecturing going away completely at the college level. Somehow, a teacher must impart large bodies of information in physics, chemistry, or math. I wouldn’t want to have a more organic approach to those topics. I’d want to hear from an expert.

How do you expect it might affect you in the future?

This shift has already affected me. I’m integrating more discussion and technology into what I do already. I’m not big on lecture anyway. I will be making my first vodcast for my class.

Have your views changed since you started this course?

My views have changed because I really didn’t know anything about the technology that was out there. Sure, I’d watched some YouTubes and I’ve read about FaceBook. I know about Blogs and wikis, but never thought about integrating them into the class. Now my brain is bursting with different ways I could integrate some more technology. If I move into teaching a three credit class, I will have more opportunity to use these tools.

How can you use technology to facilitate this shift in your own classroom?

As I said, I got permission to do a vodcast for the class I teach. I used a blog this eight weeks and I’m going to try a wiki next eight weeks. I’ve introduced lessons with a podcast I downloaded from Google. I now know these tools are out there and can integrate them when the time is right. For instance, I can use Flikr in my daily work and wait for the right time to integrate it into my teaching.  I don’t believe we need to use everyone ever semester.

Ah, technology! The assignment asks how I could use this at work. Here’s my problem-I can’t download this software at work. I tried, I really tried. There are two problems: first, we aren’t supposed to download software other than what our “build” came with. Mine didn’t come with Skype.  Second, I spend about 80 percent of my day on the computer doing research. I got what is called a deep freeze on my computer; it allows very little in. Skype isn’t one of the very littles. The deep freeze doesn’t allow for any pop-ups to get in. I was getting them all the time and my computer was getting corrupted. We have an ancient server at my college and everyone is praying it will last two more years. So, in a nutshell, no Skype for me. But I did enjoy reading others enthusiasm and uses for it. I could network with colleagues at other campuses, as suggested, if I could have it on my computer. I could still do that while at home, but I do little college work at home.

Ok, I’ll admit I’m tired. And I’m on information overload. I read the blog posting about the teacher who conferenced with a class in Peru. That’s cool. Once. Or twice. To learn about other cultures. It’s my practical bend again. I really think we need to teach students how to get a long with each other. Other students. In the flesh.

Think of people you know who are successful in work and life. Many of them have the ability to get along well with other people. People skills make such a difference between success and failure. So, I come down in thinking this is a tool in an arsenal, not the whole arsenal. I don’t have a use for this in my class because the class is so short and I don’t teach anything where this would be practical.  I’m glad I know about it!

PS They are doing a podcast of someone talking about assessment at MCC. Guess who gets to be the guinea pig teacher who is the first to try it? You’ve got it – me. Very cool. And, even better, I “get it.”

According to George Siemens regarding “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a Digital Age” . . .
“We are moving from formal, rigid learning into an environment of informal, connection-based, network-creating learning. …Knowing is no longer a destination. Knowing is a process of walking in varying degrees of alignment with a dynamic environment.”
(Siemens, http://www.learningcircuts.org/2005/nov2005/seimens.htm) If you understand and agree with the above quote, then it’s obvious that connectivism holds merit as a learning theory.

I understand the above quote which was taken from http://bcefall0710pls.wikispaces.com/Pro+Connect on November 29, 2007. I agree with the above quote. That doesn’t mean I believe that connectivism holds merit as a learning theory. First of all, I’m not sure I understand the premise of connectivism theory. The quote above is one small part of the entire learning theory. It is like quoting a Bible verse without reading the whole passage. Taken out of context, it makes sense.

I work in the concrete and it is difficult for me to live in the world of theories. First of all, it is hard for me to really understand the premise under which he works. I understand the individual parts, but don’t necessarily get the whole. I find myself nodding with each point, “Yes, OK, I agree.” Then I reach the end and I’m like, “HUH?” The conclusion didn’t particularly follow the premise. Yes, we are moving in a faster world, but I believe we’ve connected with each other to some degree to learn for a long time. Remember group work? And haven’t we had to change our conclusion based on new information for a long time, also? Remember how the world’s population believed the world was flat?

We access information faster. I currently feel overwhelmed. I can’t deal with all this. Instead of connecting will we just throw our hands into the air and give up? Is ignorance bliss?

Being very practical, I like to see how we now need to teach and prepare people to go out in the world. I come down on the side of pedagogy. We need to continue to teach our students how to think. For me, whether it is a new learning theory or pedagogy, how will we use it? Isn’t that what matters?

http://www.apple.com/au/education/ipod/lessons/oralhistories.html

This is the podcast I chose to use in my classroom. The students have a lesson where they are to interview someone from a culture different than their own and write a short paper about it. I would use this as an alternative for those who are doing the class on line. I would ask them to contrast the interviewees life in Cuba compared to the United States. If you skip below the Wiki post, I plan on doing the interview listed in that lesson. It would suit my purposes well.

This week we covered using Wikis in the classroom. I have some ideas swimming around in my head as to how I might use a Wiki. Students need to write a follow-up of some seminars they attend. I’ve thought of having the students who attend certain seminars do a Wiki about them. The problem I foresee is this: I don’t see the students enough to really teach what I would like done. I will have to think of this some more. I am playing with the idea of teaching English next year, so there may be a place for Wikis in that class.

Working together on a wiki, on-line was an interesting process. Communication is key when building a wiki as a group. Although we didn’t have a leader, if we had a bigger and more ongoing wiki I think it would help. I had fun with the collaborative process in that I wrote some of the pages and others edited them. Editing is not always my strong point, so I appreciated the help. People bring different skills to the table. I definitely see the benefits of a wiki while planning or perhaps working in a group in a classroom. Caroline

I have thought for a while that I would like to have a podcast of the president of the college welcoming the students to our College. He is not readily assessable, so I think a welcoming speech played the first week of the introductory class would be great.

I would have the president welcome the students to MCC. I would also have him tell them about his background. He also went to a community college and started his education there. I would have him relay why he went to a community college and what it meant to him in terms of his education. Lastly, I would ask him to tell the students why he chooses to continue to work at community colleges and what they mean to him. Then I would have him wish them all luck and close by saying he will see them at graduation. It could be the next best thing to having him come to class. He doesn’t have time to do that.