Month: August 2024

3 Initial Thoughts 

1. Much like in-person teaching, online teaching places a significant emphasis on community. As Dunlap and Lowenthal (2018) and Boettcher (n.d.) discussed, establishing a community in an online class is crucial. It helps students form connections and allows them to be social in ways that mirror a face-to-face classroom. Whether students are learning in person or online, the social aspect of learning remains a vital component. 

2. Providing students with choices is a fundamental aspect of education. The concept of UDL in online learning, as highlighted by Dunlap & Lowenthal (2018), is a powerful tool. It empowers students to demonstrate their understanding in ways that suit their learning style and meet the course requirements. This adaptability makes students feel comfortable and allows them to connect their experiences with their learning (Boettcher, n.d.). 

3. While there are similarities to in-person and online teaching, there are differences in how to facilitate online classes as they may require a different set of skills. Bull (2013) discussed eight roles of an online facilitator. While some can be found in an in-person facilitator, such as a cheerleader and co-learner, some are more for online courses like Big Brother, where everything is documented, and teachers can see when students are online and guide them to the appropriate resources or course content. 

In my initial thoughts, I discussed the similarities between in-person and online teaching. I still have some questions I would like to explore as I go through this course, especially regarding how to use these skills in a K12 setting. 

2 questions

1. K-12 education is primarily done in face-to-face classrooms; which skills and roles discussed in facilitating digital environments can be transferred to in-person teaching? 

2. In connection with the first question. If there are skills from teaching online courses that can be transferred to K12 in-person settings, how can we use these skills when we are not facilitating online? 

1 Metaphor 

Through reading about digital facilitation, a metaphor that goes well with my thoughts and questions is an image of a road map. Teaching and learning is a journey, and as Bull (2013) pointed out, we are here to guide our students throughout. While the path may not be straight, and mistakes may be made, the journey and learning along the way are what matters. 

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References

Boettcher, J. V. (n.d.). Ten best practices for teaching online. Design for Learning. http://designingforlearning.info/writing/ten-best-practices-for-teaching-online/

Bull, B. (2013). Eight roles of an effective online teacher. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/

Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2018). Online educators’ recommendations for teaching online: Crowdsourcing in action. Open Praxis, 10(1), 79-89. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.1.721

When I think about the design thinking process, I am not very surprised by the use of artificial intelligence by those who participated in the survey. Those who did discuss their use of AI were using chatbots, which Diliberti et al. (2024) also discuss in their article as one of the most popular uses among teachers. The feedback they gave in the initial survey was helpful and had me reflect on changing from my original idea of creating a written guide to having something more interactive, which is when I shifted to a toolkit. 

It was important to have interactive elements and resources they could use, as that was mentioned. All the participants noted the need for videos, checklists, infographics, etc. Further, there was mention of the lack of human interaction when using AI, so it was essential to have some community of practice (CoP) element as part of the toolkit. As we learned throughout the MALAT program, a CoP allows those with common interests or concerns to interact and learn to help build new knowledge or practices (Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium, 2016). As I built the toolkit, this feedback was constantly in the back of my mind, and I kept the participants updated when changes were made to get more feedback. 

When the digital resource creation is finished, I want to share it with those who participated throughout the design process and with other educators and professionals. This resource has the potential to enhance the use of AI in K-12 education significantly, and I am excited to see the impact it can have. Further, once this course is finished, it will be a resource that can continually grow and change by adding more AI tools and creating more video explanations and digital resources that can be used. With the forum and a CoP, teachers can use this to discuss their AI and use any helpful tips or lesson plans they have used. Thus, the following steps will be to continue adding to the toolkit and introducing it to educators and those who might find it helpful to build that community of practice. 

To conclude, this design thinking process was very helpful in guiding the creation of the digital resource. Without those who participated in the survey, I do not think the digital resource would look as it does. It shows the importance of conducting a needs assessment and keeping those who participated updated to continuously receive feedback, especially with those with whom you plan to create a digital resource. 

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References 

Diliberti, M. K., Schwartz, H. L., Doan, S., Shapiro, A., Rainey, L. R., & Lake, R. J. (2024, April 17). Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in K–12 Classrooms. RAND. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-21.html

Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. (2016). What is a community of practice? Community of Practice. https://www.communityofpractice.ca/background/what-is-a-community-of-practice/