Discussion Boards:
They are a form of asynchronous communication. Because there is a lack of body cues, expression and pauses, students are forced to communicate clearly. More caution should be taken in order to get an idea across accurately. They give the chance for verbal intelligence to shine.
I don’t think that I really understood the value of discussion boards until just now. I appreciate Gardner’s beliefs on the multiple intelligences. Instead of asking “How smart are you?” he asks “How are you smart?” I am naturally a good thinker and communicator. I can communicate pretty well through print and in person, but I take it for granted. It doesn’t dawn on me that some students do not communicate well in person. In order for them to also get the full experience of collaboration and community in learning, they must have another way to communicate with each other. Like all tools in technology, some are designed to meet the learning needs of certain people; and I think that makes many of the tools worth it.
I think that the removal of bias is also something of value. The power in a post comes from the strength and power of the content, instead of from the popularity or appeal of the person communicating. Students can be given a voice to discuss things that they desire, and to contribute in a way that could potentially be just as valuable as face-to-face communication.
If I do end up using discussion boards in my classroom, I want to be very explicit in communicating to students why we are using them. The question that I always address in approaching technology is why. After asking it, some things make more sense and appear more necessary, while others lose their credibility altogether.
The biggest concern I have with discussion boards is this: how do I continue to foster critical thinking and meaningful learning through it? How do I keep it from becoming just another task for school? Jonassen advises that teachers be on the lookout for shallow conversation full of phrases like “I agree” or “me too.” But how can this really be done? On thing I thought of was to encourage, or maybe even require that students ask questions in response to each other’s posts. This would be in attempt to foster critical thinking. When students question each other and do not simply agree all the time, more depth in communication can follow. The teacher is often the one to think critically about student work, and ask questions; but the students should be actively involved in this process.
Interactive Chats and Messaging:
As a pre-teen and teenager, using AOL Instant Messenger was the cool thing to do. I am very familiar with IM, and still use it now to communicate with classmates and maintain long distance friendships. Before my parents let me get an AOL account, I would go to chat rooms to talk to people. Something about it made me feel very old and independent (even though I lied about who I was most of the time).
In order to better understand other kinds of chatting, I got an account with Tapped In. I first went to the Global Schoolhouse, and found a link to www.tappedin.org. The first chat room I entered was not very exciting. There were only about 5 people there, and none of them even talked to me. Over a short period of time, each one left the room. It was kind of amusing at first. In the end I had no luck getting anyone to talk to me. I am curious as to how many people still use chatting of that sort.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Building Community Through Technology
A question that I have been discussing in my educational technology class is this: Does technology help us do something that we couldn’t do before, or something that we could do before only better?
It is no revolutionary statement to say that technology is slowly taking over many aspects of our lives. Things that were once done well are now done better. It seems trendy to step things up to the technological level. One of those things is community. The online community grows as the frequent use of chatting, text messaging, blogging, Skype, and wikis increase. In David Jonassen’s Meaningful Learning with Technology, he dedicates an entire 36 pages to this topic of community building with technologies. In fact, my creation of this blog is in response to that very chapter.
Community is something to be valued in all realms of life. It is crucial to for students, teachers, pastors, board members, church-goers, parents, children, businessmen, athletes and even the homeless. As a pre-service teacher, I am beginning to realize the importance of building a positive, safe community for the students in my classroom. This is something that should be done with or without technology, and one can argue whether or not technology is beneficial for community building efforts.
There is great potential for technology to build community in the classroom. I intentionally use the word potential, and will explain my reasons later on in this post. Jonassen’s chapter entitled, “Community Building with Technologies,” discusses many ways that a teacher can use technology to develop the classroom community.
Knowledge Forum
The first tool that he discusses is Knowledge Forum. Knowledge Forums were birthed out of the dissatisfaction with the schools’ traditional ways of assessment and learning. Jonassen discusses how schools “inhibit rather than support knowledge building by focusing on individual students’ abilities and learning.” The focus is on individuals’ demonstrable knowledge, activities, and skills as evidence for learning. It seems that student knowledge is only valued as it is evidence for understanding of the curriculum. What students truly know and believe is unimportant, but the memorized curriculum is of value. While I think that this is a fairly accurate description of school assessment of learning, I am not sure how else to assess learning. What else can be measured other than demonstrable knowledge?
Knowledge Forums are said to be databases where notes, ideas, and knowledge are shared in a way that leads to growth and innovation. Students can collaborate and focus on ideas to build deeper knowledge and understanding of them, instead of shallowly developing a few basic skills. Students can problem-solve, hypothesize, research, collect information, and analyze together to create a positive learning community.
Jonassen and the creators of Knowledge Forum speak very highly of this program’s ability to foster genuine learning as opposed to measuring demonstrable skills. Jonassen claims that “learning is not a by-product of Knowledge Forum: it is a direct goal.” He continues to say that “students are encouraged to make school more meaningful and goal-directed in their pursuit of learning objectives,” Although they claim to change how learning is measured, I would say that Knowledge Forums only change the process of learning, and not the final assessment.
In the same way that a teacher would read an essay, grade a worksheet, or check for the completion of an assignment, a teacher would monitor Knowledge Forum. A teacher would check to see if students are posting and dialoguing with classmates; if they are hypothesizing, analyzing and collaborating. In reality this is the same thing as the “traditional methods,” it just appears to be a different medium. I said before that technology had great potential to build community in the classroom, but in the end it comes down to the pursuit and attitudes of the students and teachers. Do the students desire community? Do they desire to learn? If so, they will pursue these things whether they are in the classroom or even online. Knowledge Forum only prepares the way for community learning to happen. Technological community sounds revolutionary and as though it is inspiring learning and discovery; but in the end, I believe that learning is driven by student motivation. Knowledge Forum is merely a tool for those who already desire to build community and to discover treasures of knowledge. Students will reap what they sow; if they want to learn, they will (although as teachers we still have responsibility…but that is a whole new post).
I would say that most college students are not really engaged in their online forums and communities. To us, a forum or discussion post is just another assignment that we have to finish by 8:30am on Monday morning. For example, in this technology class we had to post about a game or simulation. Then we had to respond to three other posts. When I completed this assignment, the only goal I had was to get in there and get it done! I posted my example, and responded to three others. I wanted to check it off of my “To Do” list. I was not interested in learning, but in completing. One could read my posts and say that I learned or that I was engaged, when really I was not. I am not the only student who has learned how to cheat the system or put on the appearance of learning. It happens all the time. Trendy programs and revolutionary designs are rendered useless unless students are really in pursuit of knowledge.
Wikis:
Jonassen also discusses the use of wikis to develop community. I attempted to do the same. I then discovered that what I really wanted to create was a blog. While it would be ideal for community building if all of my classmates came to read and respond to my wiki, it is very unlikely. A wiki is a great way to foster community development, but as with everything else, it is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of.
In EME 4401 we have a few class wikis. I think that the way they are used is extremely practical for my needs as a student. I can use them to read about what was done in class and to build an exam review for the final. But the main reason that they are helpful is because their purposes align with my needs and desires. They pertain to my performance in this class and my final grade. If these wikis were for another purpose not pertaining to my grades or something else I desire to invest in, I would most likely not use them.
Jonassen mentions other resources that Wikimedia Foundation Inc. puts out. Wikis such as Wiktionary, Wikisource, and Wikiquote are examples. I have now visited these sites and added them to my de.icio.us site. I only went this extra mile because they appealed to my needs or interests.
Jonassen mentioned many examples of how teachers and students have used wikis, but the one I found most useful was a high school teacher’s use in an AP World History classroom. Students created wikis for exam reviews which created “constructive, authentic, enjoyable” methods for students to review and display material. While I think that elementary students are capable of creating wikis, I’m not sure that they would need a review method that is quite so elaborate. Like concept maps (and like we used in EME 4401), wikis could be used to display the content for the entire year. As chapters or units are finished, information on the wiki could be updated. On the internet, students and parents have access to this at home. Not only does this provide a good learning tool, but it is a way to build community and the home-school connection.
Interactive Blogs:
I think that blogs, much like wikis, have a lot of practical potential for the classroom. As a teacher, I like the idea of using a blog to allow students to explore information for which there is no time to cover in class. Blogs can be used as elaboration tools, to deepen student knowledge and understanding. I also like that they can be used to encourage participation from students who are too timid to speak up in class, or who need time to process before partaking in oral discussion.
There are many things that I could do with blogs that are based around different subjects. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that students will actually pursue knowledge and elaboration above and beyond what I assign or discuss in class. Quite frankly, this doesn’t mean that I should not use blogs. If a student is interested in a topic, it would be my joy to help the student come to deeper understandings and revelations about it, as ridiculous or irrelevant as I may perceive it. For instance, if a teacher of mine provided resources on the music industry, recording, or religion, I would most likely take advantage of this. As a teacher, I just need to find out what students are interested in, and build on that.
International Communities:
Like the push for technology, the push for global communication and understanding is also a current trend in the education realm. It does not surprise me that technology is trying to connect students to peers that are different from them or who can help them broaden their view of the world. I am very encouraged by this push for building international communities. It is obvious that technology can help this happen more efficiently because of blogs, chatting, wikis and the like. I would argue that community building technology is the most useful for the purpose of global community.
It was said that students enjoy writing when they are able to write to a “distant audience” of peers. This is especially true when the peers are from different geographical locations and cultures. If writing situations like these can increase the frequency and quality of writing, then I am that much more excited about using global communities.
It is no revolutionary statement to say that technology is slowly taking over many aspects of our lives. Things that were once done well are now done better. It seems trendy to step things up to the technological level. One of those things is community. The online community grows as the frequent use of chatting, text messaging, blogging, Skype, and wikis increase. In David Jonassen’s Meaningful Learning with Technology, he dedicates an entire 36 pages to this topic of community building with technologies. In fact, my creation of this blog is in response to that very chapter.
Community is something to be valued in all realms of life. It is crucial to for students, teachers, pastors, board members, church-goers, parents, children, businessmen, athletes and even the homeless. As a pre-service teacher, I am beginning to realize the importance of building a positive, safe community for the students in my classroom. This is something that should be done with or without technology, and one can argue whether or not technology is beneficial for community building efforts.
There is great potential for technology to build community in the classroom. I intentionally use the word potential, and will explain my reasons later on in this post. Jonassen’s chapter entitled, “Community Building with Technologies,” discusses many ways that a teacher can use technology to develop the classroom community.
Knowledge Forum
The first tool that he discusses is Knowledge Forum. Knowledge Forums were birthed out of the dissatisfaction with the schools’ traditional ways of assessment and learning. Jonassen discusses how schools “inhibit rather than support knowledge building by focusing on individual students’ abilities and learning.” The focus is on individuals’ demonstrable knowledge, activities, and skills as evidence for learning. It seems that student knowledge is only valued as it is evidence for understanding of the curriculum. What students truly know and believe is unimportant, but the memorized curriculum is of value. While I think that this is a fairly accurate description of school assessment of learning, I am not sure how else to assess learning. What else can be measured other than demonstrable knowledge?
Knowledge Forums are said to be databases where notes, ideas, and knowledge are shared in a way that leads to growth and innovation. Students can collaborate and focus on ideas to build deeper knowledge and understanding of them, instead of shallowly developing a few basic skills. Students can problem-solve, hypothesize, research, collect information, and analyze together to create a positive learning community.
Jonassen and the creators of Knowledge Forum speak very highly of this program’s ability to foster genuine learning as opposed to measuring demonstrable skills. Jonassen claims that “learning is not a by-product of Knowledge Forum: it is a direct goal.” He continues to say that “students are encouraged to make school more meaningful and goal-directed in their pursuit of learning objectives,” Although they claim to change how learning is measured, I would say that Knowledge Forums only change the process of learning, and not the final assessment.
In the same way that a teacher would read an essay, grade a worksheet, or check for the completion of an assignment, a teacher would monitor Knowledge Forum. A teacher would check to see if students are posting and dialoguing with classmates; if they are hypothesizing, analyzing and collaborating. In reality this is the same thing as the “traditional methods,” it just appears to be a different medium. I said before that technology had great potential to build community in the classroom, but in the end it comes down to the pursuit and attitudes of the students and teachers. Do the students desire community? Do they desire to learn? If so, they will pursue these things whether they are in the classroom or even online. Knowledge Forum only prepares the way for community learning to happen. Technological community sounds revolutionary and as though it is inspiring learning and discovery; but in the end, I believe that learning is driven by student motivation. Knowledge Forum is merely a tool for those who already desire to build community and to discover treasures of knowledge. Students will reap what they sow; if they want to learn, they will (although as teachers we still have responsibility…but that is a whole new post).
I would say that most college students are not really engaged in their online forums and communities. To us, a forum or discussion post is just another assignment that we have to finish by 8:30am on Monday morning. For example, in this technology class we had to post about a game or simulation. Then we had to respond to three other posts. When I completed this assignment, the only goal I had was to get in there and get it done! I posted my example, and responded to three others. I wanted to check it off of my “To Do” list. I was not interested in learning, but in completing. One could read my posts and say that I learned or that I was engaged, when really I was not. I am not the only student who has learned how to cheat the system or put on the appearance of learning. It happens all the time. Trendy programs and revolutionary designs are rendered useless unless students are really in pursuit of knowledge.
Wikis:
Jonassen also discusses the use of wikis to develop community. I attempted to do the same. I then discovered that what I really wanted to create was a blog. While it would be ideal for community building if all of my classmates came to read and respond to my wiki, it is very unlikely. A wiki is a great way to foster community development, but as with everything else, it is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of.
In EME 4401 we have a few class wikis. I think that the way they are used is extremely practical for my needs as a student. I can use them to read about what was done in class and to build an exam review for the final. But the main reason that they are helpful is because their purposes align with my needs and desires. They pertain to my performance in this class and my final grade. If these wikis were for another purpose not pertaining to my grades or something else I desire to invest in, I would most likely not use them.
Jonassen mentions other resources that Wikimedia Foundation Inc. puts out. Wikis such as Wiktionary, Wikisource, and Wikiquote are examples. I have now visited these sites and added them to my de.icio.us site. I only went this extra mile because they appealed to my needs or interests.
Jonassen mentioned many examples of how teachers and students have used wikis, but the one I found most useful was a high school teacher’s use in an AP World History classroom. Students created wikis for exam reviews which created “constructive, authentic, enjoyable” methods for students to review and display material. While I think that elementary students are capable of creating wikis, I’m not sure that they would need a review method that is quite so elaborate. Like concept maps (and like we used in EME 4401), wikis could be used to display the content for the entire year. As chapters or units are finished, information on the wiki could be updated. On the internet, students and parents have access to this at home. Not only does this provide a good learning tool, but it is a way to build community and the home-school connection.
Interactive Blogs:
I think that blogs, much like wikis, have a lot of practical potential for the classroom. As a teacher, I like the idea of using a blog to allow students to explore information for which there is no time to cover in class. Blogs can be used as elaboration tools, to deepen student knowledge and understanding. I also like that they can be used to encourage participation from students who are too timid to speak up in class, or who need time to process before partaking in oral discussion.
There are many things that I could do with blogs that are based around different subjects. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that students will actually pursue knowledge and elaboration above and beyond what I assign or discuss in class. Quite frankly, this doesn’t mean that I should not use blogs. If a student is interested in a topic, it would be my joy to help the student come to deeper understandings and revelations about it, as ridiculous or irrelevant as I may perceive it. For instance, if a teacher of mine provided resources on the music industry, recording, or religion, I would most likely take advantage of this. As a teacher, I just need to find out what students are interested in, and build on that.
International Communities:
Like the push for technology, the push for global communication and understanding is also a current trend in the education realm. It does not surprise me that technology is trying to connect students to peers that are different from them or who can help them broaden their view of the world. I am very encouraged by this push for building international communities. It is obvious that technology can help this happen more efficiently because of blogs, chatting, wikis and the like. I would argue that community building technology is the most useful for the purpose of global community.
It was said that students enjoy writing when they are able to write to a “distant audience” of peers. This is especially true when the peers are from different geographical locations and cultures. If writing situations like these can increase the frequency and quality of writing, then I am that much more excited about using global communities.
Jonassen Chapter 5
Thoughts and Reflections of Chapter 5
Concept Maps:
Although I am sure that many of my teachers have used them, I can remember concept maps being most helpful in high school. My anatomy and physiology teacher would draw a concept map at the beginning of every unit. And as he taught he would walk us through the concept map each step of the way. When it came to the exams, he always encouraged us to create our own maps. When I actually did that, my learning was most meaningful.
I would agree with Jonassen that concept maps are most effective when they are created by students, not only prepared for them. They require the organization and true understanding of facts, concepts, and generalizations.
Systems Dynamics Tools:
Jonassen points out that Stella probably cannot be used effectively with elementary students. In all honesty, as a college student, and a pre-service teacher, systems modeling really intimidates me. This is probably because the examples given seem over my head. The good thing about Stella and Model-it is that they can be as complicated or simple as desired.
When it comes to using these modeling systems in my classroom, I don’t think that I would. This is partly because of the age appropriateness, and partly because I don’t know how I would use them. I am definitely not opposed to introducing these kinds of systems to my students; because I would not want them to be deprived on the account of my lack of understanding or creativity.
Spreadsheets:
When I typically think of spreadsheets, I think of Microsoft excel, keeping track of grades, finances, and displaying other quantitative data. I never used spreadsheets until the EME 2040. Even then, I only created one using grade book. When I think of spreadsheets I think of how they can profit the organization and facilitation of my classroom. They help behind the scenes but not really for the learning process. Jonassen recognizes that spreadsheets are most consistently used as management tools, but continues to emphasize their support of high-order quantitative thinking. I did not know that they could be used for simulation modeling tools.
In class our class discussion of different educational programs, my partner and I analyzed the Graph Club. While there were many great qualities of the program, students can easily use spreadsheets to do some of the same things. They can make graphs and charts, however kid-unfriendly they may be.
Like all of the Mindtools listed in this chapter, spreadsheets have the most potential when students use and create their own. There is benefit to using simulations and graphs that I develop, but when learning is made meaningful through the creation of a project, students experience great intellectual gain.
Expert Systems:
This was the coolest section to read. Although I feel that I am left with lots of questions about Expert systems. I am not sure about how exactly they are created or used. I understand that their purpose is to aid in decision making, problem solving and reasoning. I think I understand the interaction of facts, rules, conditions and decisions, but I still do not know how the programs work.
I think that this is so neat because I am a person who greatly values the counsel of others, and this just creates another way for me to solve problems and receive counsel. I am learning how crucial it is for children to develop problem solving skills, and these expert systems are a great aid for that.
The biggest flaw I see a flaw of these systems is that all of the outcomes seem to be pre-determined (from my understanding). Any solution that is given has been programmed into the system as an automatic response to a certain combination of calculations. Life is not that linear; and good decision making may not always be formulated. Often times the best solution has yet to be imported into a system.
On the positive side, these systems can help students see the factors and processes involved in problem solving. Also, when students become experts they engage in “deeper-level” thinking.
Databases:
As I read this section I kept visualizing my del.icio.us site. It is a database that I have created. I add materials, tag them and eventually organize them. While it is not the most in depth database, I think it is a great way that elementary students could learn to organize, categorize, index, and search. When I add a website, I experience a very mild dose of stress when I have to tag it. I am very much inclined to use many tags. I think that I may use excessive tagging, but I cannot think of the downside as of yet (not that I think that hard about it).
I never really thought of having students create databases in order to manage or organize information. I think that I would use del.icio.us in order to introduce students to databases.
Concept Maps:
Although I am sure that many of my teachers have used them, I can remember concept maps being most helpful in high school. My anatomy and physiology teacher would draw a concept map at the beginning of every unit. And as he taught he would walk us through the concept map each step of the way. When it came to the exams, he always encouraged us to create our own maps. When I actually did that, my learning was most meaningful.
I would agree with Jonassen that concept maps are most effective when they are created by students, not only prepared for them. They require the organization and true understanding of facts, concepts, and generalizations.
Systems Dynamics Tools:
Jonassen points out that Stella probably cannot be used effectively with elementary students. In all honesty, as a college student, and a pre-service teacher, systems modeling really intimidates me. This is probably because the examples given seem over my head. The good thing about Stella and Model-it is that they can be as complicated or simple as desired.
When it comes to using these modeling systems in my classroom, I don’t think that I would. This is partly because of the age appropriateness, and partly because I don’t know how I would use them. I am definitely not opposed to introducing these kinds of systems to my students; because I would not want them to be deprived on the account of my lack of understanding or creativity.
Spreadsheets:
When I typically think of spreadsheets, I think of Microsoft excel, keeping track of grades, finances, and displaying other quantitative data. I never used spreadsheets until the EME 2040. Even then, I only created one using grade book. When I think of spreadsheets I think of how they can profit the organization and facilitation of my classroom. They help behind the scenes but not really for the learning process. Jonassen recognizes that spreadsheets are most consistently used as management tools, but continues to emphasize their support of high-order quantitative thinking. I did not know that they could be used for simulation modeling tools.
In class our class discussion of different educational programs, my partner and I analyzed the Graph Club. While there were many great qualities of the program, students can easily use spreadsheets to do some of the same things. They can make graphs and charts, however kid-unfriendly they may be.
Like all of the Mindtools listed in this chapter, spreadsheets have the most potential when students use and create their own. There is benefit to using simulations and graphs that I develop, but when learning is made meaningful through the creation of a project, students experience great intellectual gain.
Expert Systems:
This was the coolest section to read. Although I feel that I am left with lots of questions about Expert systems. I am not sure about how exactly they are created or used. I understand that their purpose is to aid in decision making, problem solving and reasoning. I think I understand the interaction of facts, rules, conditions and decisions, but I still do not know how the programs work.
I think that this is so neat because I am a person who greatly values the counsel of others, and this just creates another way for me to solve problems and receive counsel. I am learning how crucial it is for children to develop problem solving skills, and these expert systems are a great aid for that.
The biggest flaw I see a flaw of these systems is that all of the outcomes seem to be pre-determined (from my understanding). Any solution that is given has been programmed into the system as an automatic response to a certain combination of calculations. Life is not that linear; and good decision making may not always be formulated. Often times the best solution has yet to be imported into a system.
On the positive side, these systems can help students see the factors and processes involved in problem solving. Also, when students become experts they engage in “deeper-level” thinking.
Databases:
As I read this section I kept visualizing my del.icio.us site. It is a database that I have created. I add materials, tag them and eventually organize them. While it is not the most in depth database, I think it is a great way that elementary students could learn to organize, categorize, index, and search. When I add a website, I experience a very mild dose of stress when I have to tag it. I am very much inclined to use many tags. I think that I may use excessive tagging, but I cannot think of the downside as of yet (not that I think that hard about it).
I never really thought of having students create databases in order to manage or organize information. I think that I would use del.icio.us in order to introduce students to databases.
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