WEBQUEST EDU 370

http://questgarden.com/136/05/2/111122120523/

Reflection on Online Learning: Virtual School

Reflection on Online Learning: Virtual School

1) Who is responsible to pay for students attending virtual high schools?

I can understand why finances may become an issue when applying to go to a virtual school. I came across the same situation a few years ago. I wanted to continue my education but realistically there was no way that this could have been possible. I had way too much on my plate, which consisted of work, new family, a family to support along with commuting long distances every day. This door opened for me and I was able to take courses online. Long story short, I realized that I wanted to finish school and I completely understood that since this was a special way for me to continue my education there needed to be some price to pay. I applied for loans and grants and I may have to pay debt off for a while, but education is ever lasting and I exceeded my goals in more than one way.

2) Should all public schools have a virtual high school component?

In this day and age I think the technology is available so it needs to be implemented. Although, I think there needs to be some sort of guidelines or requirements met in order to take advantage of the program. I see the importance of being able to communicate with other students, but I also see the importance of having to live life and its requirements as well.

3) How should parents be notified of the opportunity for online courses?

First I would make sure that I had plenty of documentation and information that would be available. I would say most importantly there needs to be someone like a Teacher, Administrator, or a Guidance Counselor that has been taught all the information needed to educate a parent about the virtual high school. My biggest concern would be facing a parent and not giving the correct information, or not knowing what I was talking about. We are talking about a persons future and the conversation should be taken seriously and professionally.

4) Should teachers receive a degree in teaching online courses before being allowed to teach an online course?

As my previous statement stated, I would say yes. We are speaking about a student’s future and this needs to be dealt with in a delicate manner.

Additional question

*How could you integrate what you learned into a classroom environment?

I think the big picture is to always make sure that you and your students have options. It’s okay for a person to say they don’t understand something, or they just don’t have the time but are highly motivated to finish school. I would make sure that I was paying attention to students and their needs more and ask myself what type of situation is this? How can this be fixed? What are ways we can work with the student and their future. Not just a online virtual school, but maybe even a history class, or math class a way for students to make up work and make it achievable for them to graduate. The “ultimate goal of distance learning is to make education available to anyone anywhere at any time, this goal cannot be realized unless courses are designed to be accessible to all potential students, including those with disabilities” (Burgstahler, Corrigan, McCarter, 2004).

Technology Innovation Centers Reflection

Today's activity consisted of 5 different stations, the stations had different types of devices to utilize in the classroom. I will start out with my favorite device to the device I disliked the most.

1. Smart Board--liked the most

2. Ipads

3. Electronic Pens

4. Overhead

5. I-touch--I really didn't care for

I found that the Smart Board is a wonderful tool! If students missed a day of notes or a certain presentation, the teacher is able to record and share this with the student. I would say that the only down fall would be the fact if the equipment were to break down who would fix it? I think that there needs to be more support and instruction on what to do if something breaks or needs to be updated. I would highly recommend taking a course, or learn more about the technology of the Smart Board before using it's full potential.

I disliked having to use the I-touch. I really didn't see it as a high functioning tool. Big thumbs down. I just see it as being troublesome and disruptive.

The tool that I would see in a classroom tomorrow would be the Ipad. I just love the fact that a student can work at their own pace and that there is so much information for them to use.

I would use the Ipad a a motivator in the classroom. Each student can grab a Ipad and take it to their desk and work on specific homework that they are having issues with. A Ipad seems to be the way to go in the classroom when you are having problems that need to be corrected.

Reflection on Podcasting: Learning on the Go

Reflection on Podcasting: Learning on the Go

Questions for Discussion

1. As a teacher, what must you do to prepare your class for podcasting?

First, I would want to give my class a better understanding of how to utilize a podcast correctly. By showing my students how to use the program, I could ensure that there will be less hardship for students. I would also want to address the key factors of the down side of using podcasting, such as potential copyright infringement, unsuitable information for all audiences, lack of technical support, training and lack of student interaction with me.

2. What are the potential detrimental effects on education for podcasting use? What are the potential benefits?

As previously mentioned I would be concerned about students using a podcast correctly. I want my students to understand that there can be some issues with copyright infringement and lack of interaction with me, which may cause some issues with fully understanding the lesson and content. On the other hand, the upside would be the convenience of being able to listen to the file at their discretion. I feel that there would need to be some expectations for the students to follow as well as guide lines.

3. If a teacher uses podcasts, what are the students’ obligations for the class?

I would make it mandatory for some sort of response to be submitted to me. This would ensure that the content was being listened to and that the students had an understanding of what the objectives of the unit entail. This will also give me the opportunity to make sure that if any students were struggling, I would be able to help them in a timely manner.

4. Should there be options for class attendance?

I would say that there needs to be some set of expectations set for the students to go off of. I would require them to come to a lecture class and share information or feedback they may have on the topic. I think that convenience is huge, but also interacting with other students is important as well. I would recommend that the students come to 50% of lectures and days they don’t attend they have to post a summary of the content they learned. This would be a great time to utilize a discussion board. That way the students are still interacting with other students even when they are not in the classroom.