EDLD+5368+-+Instructional+Design

__Discussion Board Reflections__

WEEK 5 **The Benefits of Online Learning** I have learned through the activities in this course that educators can benefit from designing and implementing online learning. “Across most states and all grade levels, students are finding increased opportunity, flexibility, and convenience through online learning. Teachers are discovering a new way to reach students, many of whom were not successful in traditional schools and courses” (Watson, 2007). At the district level, courses can be developed for additional high school credit. Many high school students enjoy participating in extracurricular activities, such as band or sports, which usually require a class during the school day. Because of this, students may not be able to take other electives concurrently. Other overachievers might just want to take more classes than their schedules allow for. In either situation, online classes can fill the gap for those students and allow them to take all the classes they would like to. Online learning is also a great alternative/supplement to the traditional homebound teaching model. This would allow students who cannot attend traditional high schools to have many of the same experiences as their regular education peers. In many cases, they would even be able to interact and collaborate with classmates through the courseware. Besides “official” courses designed in the central offices, I can see how a regular classroom teacher could use online learning in a more informal way as well. Many parents encourage their children to practice skills at home beyond the regular homework assignments and frequently request extra worksheets from teachers. A teacher could set up an online course as extra practice or a guided tutorial. The online course model would be a straight-forward way for students to navigate and receive that extra practice. Classroom teachers could also use the online course model to set up interactive homework as an alternative to worksheets with mere drill and practice. The applications of course development and online learning seem limitless.
 * What benefits do you see in educators knowing how to design and implement online learning?
 * How will you professionally use your course that you designed?
 * Will you integrate online learning in your role as a teacher/staff developer?
 * What questions do you still have about online learning?
 * What will you do with this new learning?

Professionally, my course could be used as a means for staff development. The course I developed is called “Reaching all Learners through Technology Integration”. The intended goal of the course is just as it sounds: to integrate technology throughout all curriculum areas to increase student achievement. While this course could be used for staff development, my current position as a classroom teacher does not lend itself for this kind of use. Additionally, I find that the course I designed really needs to be split up into a couple of individual classes to accommodate those people who are not already comfortable with technology.
 * Practical Uses of My Course **

In my current position as a teacher, I can picture myself integrating online learning with the traditional classroom environment. I feel like the most effective use of online learning with my students would be to design and implement online tutorials for the most misunderstood topics. In this way, online learning would serve as a supplement rather than independent study, which would be fitting for the elementary students that I teach. I also feel like the parents would love this kind of program to guide them in the right direction when helping their children study at home.
 * Integrating Online Learning **

The most burning question in my mind is: “How can else online courses, similar to the ones we created in this Instructional Design course, be implemented at the Elementary level?” I cannot picture online courses being offered for original credit at the Elementary level, anytime soon anyway. I already thought that a “course” could be used more as a tutorial for those struggling students, but what other benefits could a course have? I also wonder about those who do not have online access outside of school. Often times, those are the students who need it the most, but it won’t benefit them if they don’t have access.
 * Questions about Online Learning **

I am so glad to have gone through the experience of designing and implementing an online course. I am currently pursuing an Instructional Technology Specialist position, and the information from the Instructional Design course would greatly benefit me in that kind of a position. I now have knowledge of developing staff development, which can be applied in a traditional setting as well as an online platform. Because staff development is an integral part of a technology specialist’s responsibility, this experience has boosted my comfort level and confidence in developing and delivering professional development courses. Additionally, in my current position as a classroom teacher, this course has provided me with new resources to reach my students. By creating online “courses” as tutorials, I will be able to provide that much needed extra practice and support for students to master topics which they find difficult. The tutorials can include a variety of supporting activities which appeal to all of the different learning styles. “ Teachers must be able to recognize different learning styles and adapt the class to them” (Watson, 2007). This differentiation is yet another way that I am able to reach all students.
 * New Learning **

 Watson, J. (2007). A national primer on k-12 online learning. //North American Council for Online Learning//. Retrieved May 12, 2010 from []

WEEK 4  In 2007, the Sloan Consortium issued a report on the extent and nature of online learning in K-12 schools. The overall number of K-12 students engaged in online courses in 2007-2008 was estimated at 1,030,000. Sloan-C also reported that more than 4.6 million students were taking at least one online college course during the fall 2008 term, a 17 percent increase over the number reported the previous year.

Post to the discussion board using the following questions as a guide to respond to the Sloan-C reports.

Original Post - As supported by the Sloan Consortium, I definitely see the increase in online learning across today’s educational programs. “Many states and school districts are realizing the potential of online education” (Watson, 2007) and my school district is no different. Due to a lack of resources, online learning is rarely in my classroom, but is more prevalent now than ever before. I teach Elementary students, so I don’t feel that online learning is as prevalent at this level as it is in the High School level. We are, however, still using some forms of online learning. I have participated in video conferences over the past two years. Videoconferencing opens up a whole new world of learning, but a lack of equipment proves this a difficult task. My district shares 3 videoconferencing units among 45 elementary schools. Gaggle.net is another limited online learning experience that my students have been exposed to. Gaggle.net is a safe email system for student use. Each student has a Gaggle email account and can email other Gaggle users within the system. There is a strong filter on all messages to keep students safe. In addition to learning basic technology skills, students are taught proper email etiquette and are reminded to use their best writing skills (grammar, spelling, etc.). Another form of online learning that students experience is basic use of learning websites at the “Computer Center”. The online experiences happening around the rest of the campus are pretty similar to my own. The most common use of the Internet for learning is at “Center” time. There is much more online learning going on at the district level. They have already implemented several basic online professional development classes. For example, training for the district’s teacher web pages is provided in an online format. Once complete the campus Instructional Technology Specialist checks to see that the web page was created correctly. In addition to developing more professional development classes, my district is also looking into creating online classes for high school students to take for credit.
 * · How do you see online education being used in your classroom, campus and district?
 * · What type of staff development do you think K-12 teachers need in order to begin to develop and implement online learning?
 * · What impact will this type of teaching and learning have on the business world?

In order to develop and implement any kind of online learning, teachers must first be technologically “literate”. Basic technology skills are necessary to navigate this kind of platform. To develop and implement a course, I feel it would be helpful for teachers to have experience working in an online environment. Teachers should be required to take an online course first so that they can understand what works and what doesn’t from the perspective of the student. Watson agrees, saying “teacher training is often done online, or through a hybrid approach that combines traditional classroom and online learning, in order to ensure that teachers understand online education from the student perspective” (Watson, 2007). Sound teaching strategies should also be incorporated into this online learning environment as it would in any traditional classroom. Online learning has a profound impact on the business world. Even though there are surely individuals out there who represent online learning poorly, I think that overall businesses are starting to see the value of online education. Any doubts that were present even in the last few years are slowly fading away. In addition to hiring employees who have utilized online learning to obtain college degrees or specialized training, many businesses are also using online learning within their own organization. Savvy business leaders see the cost benefit to conducting training online. If it is possible to train a user on a new computer program through the web, why not do that rather than have the software experts fly to another city and stay in a hotel to train the individuals? It just makes sense, and because businesses are concerned first and foremost with the bottom line, online learning is becoming quite popular in the business world.

Watson, J. (2007). A national primer on k-12 online learning. //North American Council for Online Learning//. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from []

Reply to Emily P – <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;"> Emily, I like the "hybrid" model that you referred to for both students and teachers. I believe the future of education is going to incorporate a lot of online learning, and the "hybrid" model would be a good transition to this reality for skeptical teachers and irresponsible students. Skeptical teachers will see the benefits of online learning, but with the comfort of the face to face aspect. Eventually, they will also become comfortable with an exclusively online platform. Irresponsible students may not be able to handle the independence that comes with a completely self-directed online environment. The "hybrid" model helps to support those students by showing them the expectations with the face to face interaction to keep them on track. "Hybrid" models would be a fantastic way to begin introducing online learning to those used to the traditional classroom experience.

Week 3

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Last week, we began our discussion of “backward design.” Steps 1 and 2 of the template focused on an identified need and then the desired results. Educators are not accustomed to designing instruction in this manner.

In this week’s discussion board, share with your colleagues what steps you would normally use in designing instruction. Also, discuss your overall impression of the “backward design” process. What are the pros and cons of designing instruction in this manner?

Original Post – Normally, my team and I take a look at the district curriculum guide to see what TEKS need to be addressed at that time. We keep in mind what the state of Texas would like for the students to know about each objective (for example, we make sure that students can perform tasks seen on Released TAKS tests) and model both formal and informal assessments after the TAKS format. “Having a clear goal helps to focus our planning and guide purposeful action toward the intended results” (Wiggins, 2005). The targeted TEK(s) are the “goal” Wiggins is referring to. After getting a handle on the objectives and what the end result should look like, we then brainstorm resources to help teach that objective. Since I teach Math, we always make sure to start with hands-on activities that incorporate manipulatives to introduce new topics and from there plan activities which slowly take away the teacher support. I feel like the way that I plan is somewhat in line with “backward design”. We clearly start with the end in mind by examining the expectation of the student and go from there to plan learning activities. However, “our profession rarely subjects teacher-designed units and assessments to this level of critical review” (Wiggins, 2005). The “backward design” model is much more thorough than my current planning procedures.

I really like the idea of the “backward design” process. It forces teachers to think through the point of planning in order to create activities that achieve a specific goal. Everything in the plan will more likely make sense to achieve the goal than “traditional” planning, especially when planned week to week, rather than creating an entire unit at a time. Obviously time is the biggest drawback to this kind of planning. Because it is not the only part of our jobs, it is hard to find enough time to devote to well thought out planning. However, I could also imagine that if a team spent some extra time up front creating an entire unit following the “backward design” process, then week to week planning discussions could simply pull from that master plan to plug in specific day to day learning activities. That way, you are saving time in the end and can also feel comfortable that what you are doing is designed to achieve those vital TEKS.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Wiggins, Grant (2005). //Understanding by Design (Expanded Second Edition).// Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Retrieved April 21, 2010 from <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">[|http://site.ebrary.com/lib/lamar/Doc?id=10081770&ppg=49] Reply to Phelecia - <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Phelecia, I can really relate to your situation. I also feel like a "curriculum following robot", as you put it. While my team does not always follow the district curriculum or activities exactly as laid out, I am always feeling pressured to do so. If the students do not perform as expected by administration, I always want to back myself up by stating that I followed the guidelines prescribed from the district level, even if I do not feel like those activities are the most appropriate for my students. There are, of course, benefits of having a standard district curriculum that all follow, but it really should allow for choices by teachers without the teachers feeling any kind of guilt. Week 2 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">According to Wiggins and McTighe (2000), some teachers believe their students should “really understand,” others want their students to “internalize knowledge” and yet others want their students to “grasp the core or essence.”

Do these mean the same thing? When a student really understands, what will he do that he will not do when he does not understand?

What is your definition of understanding and how do you assess understanding? Original Post – I believe that the phrases “really understand”, “internalize knowledge”, and “grasp the core or essence” mean essentially the same thing. If a student can internalize knowledge or grasp the core or essence, then he or she understands that information. To truly understand, however, the student must be able to apply what he or she understands to a variety of situations. I agree with Wiggins when he stated, “Developing the ability to transfer one’s learning is key to a good education” (Wiggins, 2005). There are also varying degrees of understanding information, just as Bloom suggests in his Taxonomy. A student might understand that 1+1=2. He may even be able to explain how he knows that 1+1=2, but may not be able to determine in a word problem that Johnny’s ball put with Robert’s ball equals two balls total. It reminds me of the example in the introduction to Wiggins’ //Understanding by Design// (2005) where many students understood that they needed to divide, but did not grasp the fact that the bus itself cannot be divided to hold only the extra number of people. Only those who had a deep understanding knew that the answer had to be rounded up to include an extra bus. When a student “really understands”, I think that he or she will take that extra step and apply basic understandings to new or more complex situations. I have a two year old daughter who has recently developed a much deeper understanding about her environment. When she first started learning about shapes, she could only point to the star when asked. Now that she understands more deeply, she will, out of nowhere, point and say “star” without any prompting. This shows that she really understands what a star is. A child who does not really understand what a star is will not respond when he or she sees a star in the environment. Wiggins, Grant (2005). //Understanding by Design (Expanded Second Edition).// Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Retrieved April 21, 2010 from [|http://site.ebrary.com/lib/lamar/Doc?id=10081770&ppg=49] Reply to Phelecia - <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">I am also in agreement, especially with the subject that I teach (although when it comes to multiple choices tests, this applies to nearly any subject). I teach 4th grade math, and because of the TAKS tests, most of the homework assignments, quizzes, and tests are set up in the same format. Most students, even those who excel and are motivated, will just circle an answer. I have taught from day 1 that they must use strategies and show their work. I have never instructed them to do this because I say so, but have explicitly stated the reason for doing so, and that is so that I can know what you are thinking. That way, I tell them, I can see if you really understand, or can see which part you are not understanding so that I can help. I can't help them if I don't know what is going on in their heads, so I insist that they show work. I also make sure my higher students who generally do understand also show their work so that I can know, for certain, that they truly get it and are not just getting lucky. I have the same problem that you do, Matthew. It's not that the students aren't capable of the work, but just don't want to. I find this particularly true when it comes to homework. There is no reason at all that math homework problems shouldn't have some kind of thinking shown. They are not required to do homework alone, and even if there is no one to help, they should still show some sort of thinking for why they chose the answer they did. Homework essentially has no time limit and is not graded, so there is no reason not to try, other than just not wanting to. Besides homework, I have also seen this same thing in the classroom. On independent work, especially graded assignments, I won't let students turn in work without showing how the student got to the answer they chose. I do this whether the answer is correct or not, and often times when the student returns to show me the paper again they have discovered that the first answer was wrong. I have also worked with some students who struggle with self-confidence and motivation. It is amazing to me how much they know and understand, but are too lazy to put it down on the paper or are too scared to be wrong. When I sit there, giving simple hints without giving away the answer, they are able to show much more understanding than was originally put down on paper. "To understand is to have done it in the right way, often reflected in being able to explain //why// a particular skill, approach, or body of knowledge is or is not appropriate in a particular situation" (Wiggins, 2005). It is so easy to let kids slide by with the minimum effort, often being successful by mere chance, but I can't help but force children to explain their thinking. Whether it is right or wrong, deep understanding will eventually come from thinking out loud. Wiggins, Grant (2005). //Understanding by Design (Expanded Second Edition).// Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Retrieved April 21, 2010 from <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">[]

Week 1 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This week you completed a pre-inventory and a post-inventory of your Learning Theory Beliefs. You read three articles on instructional design. You completed a Teaching Style Inventory and administered a Learning Styles inventory to your students.

Keep in mind all of that work as you reflect on the following discussion questions: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">· <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What did you learn about your learning theory beliefs from this activity? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">· <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What did you learn about yourself and your students based on the learning inventories? Original Post - <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">From this week’s readings, I realized that I personally agree with the Cognitivism Theory the most, that the “learner is viewed as an active participant in the learning process” (Dabbagh, 2006). I have seen the students who are engaged and motivated to learn be more successful than those who do not take ownership of their learning. I have also had conversations with students about the fact that it doesn’t matter what I do as a teacher – if they don’t take it in and do something with the information learned through classroom activities then it’s just not going to make sense or stick. As stated by Dabbagh, “the outcome of learning is not only dependent on what the teacher presents but also on what the learner does to process this information.” I also stress to students that whatever success they achieve is attributed to them, not me “being a good teacher”. I know that I have influence on their learning (obviously), but I want them to realize that any success they achieve is mostly due to their own efforts. Now, does this mean that this is the only learning theory that I have put into practice? No. I have also implemented programs to help motivate students, which follows the objectivism theory. This year has been quite challenging, and I implemented two behavior contracts that focused mostly on academic behaviors such as staying focused in class and completing homework. Another program I have used this year is for the entire class. I put a ticket reward system into place so that when students show responsibility, they are able to fill up their ticket and redeem it for a privilege. The theory that I have the least experience with is the constructivism theory. Truth be told, I really like the theory in a perfect world; however I find that the public school system does not allow time for that kind of teaching with the tight schedules of the scope and sequence of the curriculum. Despite my personal preferences, I do believe that the teaching approach depends highly on the disposition of the individuals being taught. Therefore, I have used parts of all three approaches throughout the years. As I took the teaching inventory, I realized how out of line my actual teaching practices are with how I would ideally like to teach. The inventory showed that I prefer rote learning to analysis and prefer to have students process information via symbols and language and work in groups. In a perfect world, I would prefer to have students be analyzing things instead of just memorizing. I have felt very frustrated for several years now about the lack of time during the school day to get to everything that needs to be done. With the expectation of daily warm ups, a whole group lesson, and also small groups/rotations, the schedule does not allow for very much “on the fly” or in depth teaching. The fact that my school requires team planning with a team who rushes through topics doesn’t help things either. On top of all these constraints, I also find it challenging to even find the time to sit down and think of more creative ways to approach lessons, much less the time to implement them. I wish that we could be responsible to teach fewer objectives deeper, rather than scratching the surface of more objectives. Regarding the students’ learning styles, 50% are primarily visual learners, 30% are primarily auditory learners, and 20% are primarily tactile learners. Fortunately, I appeal to all of the learning styles in most of my lessons. I am fortunate to have a document camera, and can always display whatever concept we are working on as I am discussing it. I also have the opportunity to appeal to the tactile learners frequently, using math manipulatives when introducing topics. Just as I have subscribed to all learning theories at one time or another in my teaching career, I also incorporate all of the learning styles into lessons as much as possible. Dabbagh. N. (2006). The instructional design knowledge base. Retrieved on March 18, 2010, from [|//http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm//]

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reply to Matthew - <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Matthew, I completely agree with you. You have taken what I tried to get across in my original post and have written it in a concise way. I also like the way you conveyed your views on the TAKS testing. I have not been able to find the words to describe the way that TAKS assesses children with vast differences in learning styles in a completely uniform way. Even though I have issues with TAKS, I never really thought about the test in that manner. I also find it absolutely silly that the students (and teachers, too) are judged largely on a single test administered on a single day. The existence of TAKS definitely creates an environment of behaviorism, whether teachers agree with this belief or not. Both teachers are parents are often times forced to use punishment or reward systems to motivate children to do well on TAKS practices and on the test itself. "Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again" (Learning Theories, 2010). Many school policies require students to redo assignments that receive a failing grade, and parents frequently take away privileges if their children are not performing as expected.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 8pt;">Learning Theories Knowledge Base (2010, March). at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved March 18th, 2010 from <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 8pt;">[]

Outline of Online Course and Rubrics of Understanding: