There is a lot to think about in the progress of my digital plan. I have attached my reflection, iMovie style (firsts for many things), sharing my thoughts.
Thanks everyone for a great start to MALAT!
Tag: LNRT521
Engagement = Learning
Does engagement actually equal learning?
While perusing Flipboard , an article called “How to Determine if Student Engagement is Leading to Learning” caught my interest. Its main focus is how it is common to hear educators discuss the use of technology in both physical and virtual classrooms to engage students. The effectiveness of technology to increase learning is drawn from the 21stcentury student context. Put some technology in front of a student and they are sure to learn, right? After all, they love technology.
“In education, student engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.”
(The Glossary of Education Reform, 2014, Student Engagement)
Students can be engaged in a class – collaboration, creativity, and fun can all be evident – but how can you tell if learning is actually occurring? Where is the evidence? Students “can walk away from a lesson or activity having been very engaged but with very little in the form of new knowledge construction, conceptual mastery, or evidence of applied skills” (Sheninger, as cited in Mindshift, 2016).
It is critical that educators do not just use technology as a means of getting students to have more fun or think more positively about a lesson without designing the use of the technology to also enhance the learning process. Visible evidence is needed in order to justify the use of technology in an academic setting – both physical and virtual.
Using an instructional design model that is based on the integration of technology is one way to help ensure that the technology being implemented both engages the students, but also helps them to take away new knowledge and skills. One such model that is currently being advo
cated for in the 21stcentury teaching and learning context is SAMR (Puentedura, 2006). This model provides four methods of incorporating technology into the design of a program. Each method is connected to an aspect of Bloom’s technology and moves from lower to higher order thinking. It is at the two higher levels that meaningful learning takes place, and being able to recognize these levels in one’s own design process is important.
So to correct my title…it should read:
Learning = Engagement + Design (meaningful technology integration)
References
The Glossary of Education Reform. (2014). Student engagement. Retrieved from https://edglossary.org/student-engagement/
Mindshift. (2016). How to determine if student engagement is leading to learning. Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/01/14/how-to-determine-if-student-engagement-is-leading-to-learning/
Puentedura, R. (2006). A model for technology and transformation [pdf]. Retrieved from https://hippasus.com/resources/sweden2010/SAMR_TPCK_IntroToAdvancedPractice.pdf
Fancy New Tools
Edutopia’s article, “Shaping Tech for the Classroom”, took me on a tangent. I was reading the article and connecting it to topics I have already looked into past and present– specifically the use of the SAMR model to aid in using technology more effectively in a classroom…and I am ready to admit that I fall under the “doing old things in new ways” category, but most of my colleagues would admit to this, too. This island we inhabit is full and we all help each other to find fancy new tools where we move our content from one place to another and get our students to move their conversations from one space to another. I am hereby declaring that I am ready to learn how to make technology work for me and to work for the students – to have it be a mechanism through which effective learning can take place.
This line of thought brought me to the idea of a Learning Management System (LMS). Essentially, an LMS is used to manage, track, and deliver courses and training programs in both the education and business world. The eLearning Industry points out that e-Learning is a 50 billion dollar industry and that number could double within a year. They also project that by the year 2019, about half of all college classes in the states will be eLearning based. Theses numbers show that there are systematic changes taking place in education in order to contend with a shifting 21stcentury economy and culture. Many schools have already made the move to an LMS…but, I wonder, is this really the direction schools should be taking? (if you are interested, here is an infographic that shows the top 20 LMS software)
As I was looking at some of the different LMS platforms I started to wonder about the process of choosing one. How does an institution decide on which platform to use? I can see cost being a major issue…but what else? Another infographic highlights and expands on more variables that would come into play: ease of use, customizations, support available, and suitability for the environment. There are also open source LMS’ that are free of cost. Moodle–it is one of the most widely used LMS’ on the free market.
Moodle has lots of bells and whistles and to the naked eye it looks like a fancy tool that could help create an effective learning environment.
But, there is something missing here…and that is the most critical
aspect of all: learning.
Is an LMS the BEST way that we can help someone learn?
In the performance management sector, there must be a value delivered, and the same should go for education. An LMS is just one system of learning…we need to know it is going to provide value, rather than buy it and then just hope it provides value.
An LMS can house all of the content of a program, people tend to like them once they learn the ins and outs, and they help to brand an organization. However, just because we like what they can do, does not get us off the hook for finding out if it is going to help someone learn. Before integrating any technology an analysis on the process of learning, the people, the environment, and the content to be delivered needs to take place. If after the analysis it is decided that an LMS will serve the needs of the context and provide value, fantastic. I think that organizations can get fooled into thinking that they can shape their context around an LMS, but in reality, this just usually isn’t the case.
This also brings me around to the question of should an LMS be used at all? Do they help or hinder the learning environment?
Let’s think about games for a moment. A game without rules would equal chaos, a game with rules gives structure and goals, but a game with too many rules is rigid and can decrease creativity. We need to be careful that the technology we are implementing at a system level is not killing students curiosity and their ability to interact with the broader online community. The technology needs to serve a need and not the other way around. A quick example of this is how the US used technology to try and solve the issue of writing in space by creating a million-dollar pen, whereas the Russians just used a pencil. I think you get my point.
Yes, there is a need for a systematic shift to take place in education….but is using an LMS helping to support that shift?
I am not sure – but, I would like to make a suggestion:
That we shift the acronym from LMS to SML. That we see the introduction of technology into education as systems to manage the learning that is happening… to manage how it is developed… to manage how it is delivered. An LMS is designed to create a structured approach, it establishes a template. The problem with this is that “my” structure might not match “your” structure or someone else’s structure because not everyone teaches or learns the same way. Inherent in the education system is the idea of the variety of teaching and learning practices, but an LMS seeks to add consistency to that practice. This is not always a negative – consistency is needed in an educational context in areas such as assessment. However, you don’t want every course looking relatively the same. 21st-century learning is about creating deliverables that are not only relevant and engaging for today’s student population, but also allow them to explore, think, and create. The template structure that an LMS provides does not seem like the most effective tool to provide a rich and flexible learning context because it is what is put into it, to what you get out of it.
I am learning that an LMS or a DLE, digital learning environment, is what is put into it. The framework is important but the engagement is more important. The community needs to be established in your classroom so that students feel connected and buy-in to their learning environment. LMS holds a sense of consistency for the institution but for a classroom … it may need a blend of systems.
The Plan — My Digital Presence
Cultivating my digital presence, identity, and literacy. Journey. Patience.
These past two weeks of diving, well-being thrust into, albeit with the warmest welcome, to create an online presence, has been interesting. I have always been present on the web, as a visitor but have yet to reside in an online community. It makes me nervous. It is the void of the unknown. Maybe due to my prior profession in law enforcement, I prefer to keep my life private. This being said, I love to share pictures and stories of my family overseas through iCloud sharing, but it is by invite only. I am in a gray area. Or am I hypocritical?? Yikes.
Exploring professionally my digital presence interests me more, than personally. In a previous blog, and akin to many others in MALAT, the fear of being “out there” to be discovered by those you don’t want to be is not appealing. I have lived by the statement “if I want you to know, I will tell you”—through direct conversation or email, but not through mass media.
Goals and purpose for creating my digital presence and identity:
I reread that last paragraph and realized the strength in my tone, which I am blaming my ignorance of the boundaries to help keep life semi-private on social media. I need more knowledge and understanding to dissolve my fear. I have nothing to hide, but I don’t think everyone needs to know that. Movement in my personal digital presence will be slow and cautious, I think.
However, professionally – this is a different arena. I have been more open to this in the last few years, as I learn and discover what online communities and resources offer my trade. International education encourages and organically develops networks. Connections are necessary.
I have a strong desire to push my students to provide them with skills that will prepare them for the knowledge-based economy when they graduate. I seek ways to demonstrate their tech agility is a life-skill, and it is transferable from personal to an academic context. I would love them to create and build a digital presence that they are proud of when they leave our high school. Gardener Campbell’s (2005) idea of a ‘cyberinfrastructure’ is brilliant and a worthy challenge.
How will I achieve these goals?
Achieving these goals will be a thoughtful process and a lot of fun. The experimentation will add excitement and rejuvenation to teaching. Honing my practice to better support students learning always drives my practice. I will examine ways to improve self-directed learning, fostering intrinsic motivation, and curiosity in learning. Having to keep current in my methods and content, on par with students tech skill and media consumption, is a big task.
I will continue to browse and troll fundamental aspects of digital literacy, frameworks, and tools for a better learning environment. Trial by fire. And rather than being a consumer myself, I hope to actively participate, tweeting, retweeting and blogging about the pedagogical shifts that need to occur to help students develop into digitally immersed learners. I plan to seek out a few other like-minded people and follow them on social media, gaining insight and hopeful to discover a community. Above all else, I will experiment with my kids, helping them construct their knowledge in a collaborative setting. If I expect them to be active producers, I need to model it.
Where are my gaps in knowledge in skills in this area and how will I overcome them?
I am not aware of all the tools at my fingertips. I feel that I am not curious enough to explore the many other platforms and opportunities that can help me professionally develop. I have researched and tried frameworks for reading and writing, enhancing learning. Currently, my friend and I are trying to bring back to life the ‘cool’ factor in reading and writing through Instagram and tweeting. My gaps are in knowledge for tools but also the understanding of how tools and apps, LMS and other frameworks work. I will continue to be interested and grow my curiosity. I will not give up when frustrated in learning the many clicks and toggles to find the way to a useful tool. I will also continue to learn—read, troll, surf, and explore. I hope to post, and re-post, write and read on digital platforms from other people in my same boat or others who are further along in their journey.
How will when I have completed my plan?
Good question and always when planning, you should know the end and plan for success. But in this case, I am not sure if I when I feel I will be successful. If I distinguish between the achievements, this is how I would see it:
– My use online of a variety of 2.0 web tools will be with fluency and ease. I will refrain from choice words when frustrated and will be able to share my skill and suggestions with other people. I will be present online, still as a consumer, but also apart of an online community that I am contributing and receiving in. My students are benefiting from my learning where I have a collaborative learning environment where students are constructing learning, I am facilitating their learning, and they too will have a digital portfolio.
– The continual learning and building knowledge on my part will be an endless journey. I think that once I jump in, I may be in for the long haul. The web world is forever changing, updating, and loading of information. This will never be complete. If it ever is … press reset, please.
Down the Rabbit Hole…
Hmmm … ok … procrastination and interest—I Google myself and see what pops up.
5 mins…10 mins…15 mins later…
I have progressed from self-interest to now stepping all over people’s personal moments in
just a few clicks. I jumped from checking where I ‘pop up’, to a rabbit’s hole of many other options (more fun options) to seek and explore. I felt like I was trespassing through the lives of some friends and acquaintances, and even family. Then, ‘hey—why is my picture on your Facebook?’ I continue to investigate, read some comments, and I discover that my entire life story was revealed. Someone, an old acquaintance posted ‘how is Bobbi doing anyway?’ Innocently, and probably naively, a family member explained, in three paragraphs, the past two years of my life. I am exposed. I was plastered on her wall for all people, that I do and do not know, to see. Okay, maybe I was not plastered but there is a niggling feeling because I know didn’t consent to share all my information—maybe, violated? Vulnerable?
Boom. Tables turned in a minute. I was just ‘creeping’ on other people’s pages, and linking to other acquaintances, happily gathering updates. It no longer felt like I was trespassing. I felt shame for my trolling. But I felt betrayed.
In Susan Lucas’ article, “Job Hunting? Take a closer look at your Facebook page, ” she reminds people of the information posted is always public. There may not be any intention from you, but with our digital age and ideas, pictures, and events posted, whether it is through Facebook or a company website, YOU are out there.
Luckily, I guess, I have tried to fend off Facebook. I have held out, only until recently, to have an FB account. I have learned that it does not mean my information still is not out there. I have had people query my name, received an update, either through events or school postings, discovering where I am and how to contact me. Some ghosts from the past have appeared and made contact. Again, appearing with mixed feelings. I was ‘found’ when I didn’t know if I wanted to be found.
Interestingly, years ago, when I was first dating my husband, we were to meet his dad and wife for dinner. I was suppressing my nervousness by knowing I had an in with the commonality of running. However, to my surprise, after the pleasantries were completed and we sat down with tea, my father-in-law began to rattle some of my running times, splits and overall in events. He was peppering me with questions about training and events…I was in shock and awe. I think I sputtered a few responses, mouth agape, and with his big bellowing laugh, he declares “I Googled you!”
Shock. Now, what?
I quickly tried to recap anything that I had online. I felt somewhat safe because I had not yet entered the world of Facebook or other social media. But, obviously, there is information about me out there. My father-in-law’s laughter lingered for longer than the actual 45 seconds. I was thinking – I am judged. Did he think I am fast or slow? Did he like me or not??
Provided by Pew Research Center
Lucas’ article throws a caution to adults, maybe less nimble in the social media world than teens. This is what leads to Amanda Lenhart’s data that illustrates the differences between “parent and teen attitudes towards and experiences with online advertising, and third party access to a teen’s personal information.” I think phrase of concern is “third party access to a teen’s personal information.” The cautionary tale becomes greater and more immediate, knowing that social media usage, posting private information – pictures, name, school, friends – has been on the rise, over the past 6 years by 20-30%. Yikes!
Privacy. This may be an urban myth in a few years.
Digital Topography
As I coloured and reflected on where my footprint and digital identity exist and as depicted on my topography, I confirmed I have more of a professional footprint than space to “hang out” in digital social circles. I plainly see that I am a simple user where my motivation in digital use depends on the function in my professional life versus personal. I realized that my footprint with social media is minimal, and lack a digital presence–this is something I am working towards, deciding my digital identity. I have never been a “‘total’ Resident” with social media (White and Le Cornu, 2011). Coincidentally, I see that I have a central box to my digital world where I “move around the box, sometimes functioning more as Visitors, sometimes more as Residents, according to their motivation” (White and Le Cornu, 2011).
White, D., & Le Cornu, A. (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v16i9.3171