EDLD+5368+Instructional+Design

=Reflections for EDLD 5368 Instructional Design=  One of the reasons I chose to pursue a Master Degree from Lamar University is because of the convenience of online learning. According to John Watson (2007), “students are finding increased opportunity, flexibility and convenience through online learning”. Students live in a society where information and learning are happening 24/7. Each individual student has their own learning style. Though the programs differ depending on the grade level, they still must be developed and monitored by highly qualified instructors. In this ever changing economy, budget shortfalls and cuts, availability to programs and highly qualified teachers may become an issue. It is already a problem for remote schools for specified fields. Online learning is a way to increase the opportunities presented for each student. It can level the playing field to provide all students the opportunity to courses not available otherwise.

The course that I designed has sparked great interest at our school with students and faculty as well. The 5th grade students are very excited about the course and have continuously pursued the knowledge gleaned from the initial class. There is a desire to work online from the students. Engagement level is very high due mostly to the novelty of the experience but the content is also interest of the content. The teacher interest was surprising to me. I invited many teachers to Schoology and even though this time of year is very hectic, the majority of the teachers signed and viewed the material. I have had requests for more information, and one teacher immediately initiated conversations with Schoology for training. The teachers are looking at ways to utilize this resource and quite a few are currently enrolled at Lamar for the masters program. Professional development should be offered for creating and managing online courses at our campus due to the interest level which should include communication skills, time management skills, and planning strategies for online learning (Watson, 2007).

Our district is implementing a 1:1 computer student ratio for 5th grade next year. It seems the time for incorporating technology into the curricula areas is at hand. Teachers are going to demand activities that incorporate this new tool for their classroom. A needs assessment for teachers would be the starting place. I foresee different levels of need within the teacher group and the student population. Incorporating differentiated instruction will be necessary to keep the students and teachers frustration level low. Reassuring the teachers that they do not have to know “everything” and some students will be leading instruction with their level of expertise in technology is “ok”. Our district has begun offering webinar training this year and has been so successful that they had to increase the number of classes offered. The time is ripe for online learning. The students are ready, the faculty will have to be prepared, and the administration will demand the use of this new tool in the classroom.

In a previous class, we focused on the book, //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,// by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007). The authors used effective teaching strategies beginning with planning with the end in mind to use technology in the classroom. This is similar to, //Understanding by Design// by Wiggins and McTighe (2005) where you begin with the big picture in mind. Both use purposeful planning to design lessons. I wonder if the administration will understand what effective teaching using technology should look like. If they are no standards and/or no model classrooms to compare to, will using a slideshow on a projection screen be construed as incorporating the technology TEKS? Since technology exponentially growing, how will the new technology be incorporated with existing “brick and mortar” classroom? So many policies will have to be adapted or completely changed. How does the teacher, who is stretched to their limit, find time to incorporate effectively, one more item into the school day? Where is the time needed to design, implement, reflect and evaluate come from? What standards are there for online learning? Is it cost effective to teach in the online classroom? What do you do if there is no access to the internet? We all know that there are times when it does not work. Are all students able to learn online? Time will help with many of these questions. Research will help answer the rest. Policy, though slow to change, will emerge. It has too. Online education is not going away.

I have already recommended the book //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,// by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) to a few of my colleagues. I am going to recommend that the 5th grade teachers become a professional learning community and go through this book to enhance the use of technology into the classroom. Schoology has been introduced to several teachers on each grade level. With those teachers, I am going to develop more lessons, model online learning, and continue to help those teachers that voluntarily want to learn forming an informal professional learning community to expound on what we have developed so far in Schoology. Personally, I am going to take several professional development opportunities offered by our district to learn more about Moodle in order to open more doors to online learning for our teachers and students. Whatever platform they choose to work with, teacher and students are ready for the opportunity to use the available technology to enhance the learning of our students to create 21st century learners.


 * References:**

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Watson, J. (2007). A national primer on k-12 online learning. //North American Council for Online Learning//. Retrieved March 18th, 2010 from http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). //Understanding by design (expanded 2nd edition).// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development