7.1 Online Teachers Wear Four Hats

Online Teachers Wear Four Hats

Online Teachers wear four hats simultaneously.  To effectively teach online, one is required to wear the hats of program manager, social director, instructor and technical assistant.  The program manager is the director of the course agenda and since she controls where the course is going, she wears a charcoal driving cap.  Above the driving cap is the flamboyant red feathered hat of the social director, responsible for creating collaborative environments online.  Next in the stack is the Cat-in-the-Hat style striped top hat representing the Instructor role of consultant, guide and resource provider.  The fourth hat on the enormous stack is the geek squad ball cap of the technical assistant.  

The online teacher must be proficient in each of these roles.  But on a windy day . . . oops.  Online teachers are human and occasionally a hat gets blown from the top and goes rolling down the avenue.  

In order to keep my large stack of hats under control, I have developed the following plan:

What Skills Do I Need to Gain or Strengthen?

Program Manager ·         Time Management for myself and my students ·         Long-term course planning ·         Increase familiarity with designing content for various Course Management Systems

Social Director ·         Develop a toolbox of strategies and questioning techniques that can be used to help students build consensus about collaborative tasks.  ·         Build strength in interaction techniques via email, discussion forums, podcasts, etc.

Instructor: Skill Set: Fostering Learner-Centeredness ·         Discover which types of resources and strategies work best for certain student demographics (Gen-X, K-12, Professionals, Technophobics) ·         Integrate constructivist and Common Core based learning tasks

Instructor: Skill Set: Structuring Authentic Problem-Based Learning ·         Increase familiarity with PBL approaches and options for “learner-selected” activities.

Instructor: Skill Set: Providing Informative Feedback ·         Encourage learners to evaluate their own responses ·         Scheduling for timely feedback

Technical Assistant ·         Increase familiarity with all technical tools to be used by students so that technology becomes transparent. ·         Increase awareness of technical self-help tools that can be accessed easily by students

This plan identifies some of the challenges of keeping four hats firmly planted on an online teacher's head.  In order to prepare for the windy days ahead, I plan to:

How I Will Gain The Skills?

Program Manager ·         Make use of Web2.0 tools for organization (Springpad, etc.). ·         Collaborate with stakeholders on course design and content. ·         Research availability of free practice accounts on WebCT, Blackboard, HaikuLMS, MERLOT.org, etc.

Social Director ·         Research consensus building questioning strategies. ·         Research and watch for examples of effective and appropriate collaborative tasks. ·         Take note of interaction techniques used by my own professors.

Instructor Skill Set: Fostering Learner-Centeredness Research existing models for working with unique student groups. Review Common Core Standards and Constructivist techniques while structuring coursework and teaching courses. Skill Set: Structuring Authentic Problem-Based Learning  Research existing models Participate in Education Week Webinars to keep up with trends and best practices. Skill Set: Providing Informative Feedback Research and note questioning strategies for online inquiry Establish a flexible schedule for feedback

Technical Assistant ·         Gaining skills in this area will depend on course design and course components.

3.3 Reflection: Plant Prezi Project

Plant Prezi Project

7^th Grade Science Standards in California require students to gain a general understanding of plant structure and function.  Springtime is a great time to teach a 7^th Grade unit on plants because plants are awakening from their winter slumber and blossoms are popping out all over. Yet in spring, students get fidgety and yearn for Spring Break.  To keep their attention focused on academic pursuits during this time of the year, I am going to offer my students a technology infused opportunity for creativity while introducing my students to the world of plants.  The online Web 2.0 tool Prezi will engage students as they seek to explain a plant related topic to their peers through pictorial animated presentations.  Prezi as a presentation tool will work well for this project because it’s zooming feature will allow students to dive into cellular structures, flower parts or stages of plant lifecycles.

Students will work in groups of three and choose from the following topics:  (Note:  All page numbers represent pages in: Holt Life Science. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Print.)

1.    Plant Characteristics (p. 360)

2.    Plant Classification (p. 362)

3.    Examples and importance of Nonvascular Plants (p. 364)

4.    Moss Life Cycle (p. 364)

5.    Examples and importance of Seedless Vascular Plants (p. 367)

6.    Fern Life Cycle (p. 366)

7.    Seed Structure (p. 369)

8.    Examples of Gymnosperms (p. 370)

9.    Life Cycle of a Pine Tree (p. 371)

10.  Structures of Seed Plants (p. 374 – 378)

11.  Flower Structures (p. 379 – 380)

With groups of three students working together and 11 topics, one class of 33 students can cover the entire Chapter 12 – Introduction to Plants without any repeat projects. 

I would begin this unit by encouraging students' interest in plants through showing an excellent example of a Plant Prezi Project available on YouTube: 

10 Incredibly Deadly Plants 

Students would begin working on their own projects by creating a concept map of the main ideas required to fully explain their topic using the assigned textbook.  Concept maps, which I would call “Prezi Project Proposals” can be digitized through the use of the website www.bubbl.us and then reviewed by the teacher for editing and suggestions.  I would provide a one class period overview and tutorial on how to create a Prezi.  Groups with approved “Prezi Project Proposals can then begin their creative work. 

During student presentations, audience members would be required to evaluate the Plant Prezi Project in writing by noting two things the presenters did well and making one suggestion for improvement.  The Plant Prezi itself will be graded based on a presentation rubric created with www.rubistar.4teachers.org/

The project will address the following California State Standards for Grade Seven:

7.1.b Students know the characteristics that distinguish plant cells from animal cells, including chloroplasts and cell walls.

7.1.d. Students know that mitochondria liberate energy for the work that cells do and that chloroplasts capture sunlight energy for photosynthesis.

7.2.a Students know the differences between the life cycles and reproduction methods of sexual and asexual organisms.

7.5.f. Students know the structures and processes by which flowering plants generate pollen, ovules, seeds, and fruit.

The Plant Prezi Project will do more than teach California Science content.    Project-based learning such as this "teaches students 21st Century skills as well as content," according to www.PBL-Online.org.  21st Century skills are needed for students to become college and career ready.  The Buck Institute for Education, which created PBL-Online suggests that 21st Century skills "include communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills, self-assessment and reflection skills, and group participation and leadership skills."  These skills are currently in high demand in the workplace.  Middle Schoolers need to be engaged in the technology and skills that will allow them to compete in the global marketplace of the future.  

  

1.2 Reflection: Can a Procrastinator be an effective Online Learner?

Can a Procrastinator be an effective Online Learner?

I thought that with a houseful of teenagers and a full time job, I might not be able to successfully manage an online course.  Yet I am insatiably curious and I have a strong drive to pursue my career goals.  I was surprised to find out that even procrastinators can be effective Online Learners.  To find out if I could really handle it, I consulted the Test of Online Learning Success designed by Kerr, Kerr, and Rynearson.  After completing the self-assessment at http://distance.uh.edu/online_learning.html, I discovered that I may be better equipped for Online Learning than I thought. 

Many skills and competencies figure into the equation for Online Learning success.  A moderate procrastinator can still be successful in an Online Learning environment if they can compensate for one area of weakness with strengths in other areas.  The Test of Online Learning Success does measure the tendency to procrastinate but also considers computer skills, independent and dependent learning, academic skills and need for online delivery.   Learners are different, but you don’t have to be perfect to be an effective Online Learner. 

With reassurance from the Test of Online Learning Success, I am ready to pursue my goal of learning to deliver instruction in an online environment.  In ten years of teaching, I have developed a uniquely creative style of instruction, a host of technological skills and a strong science background.  With this course, I'm hoping to shift my career into Online Curriculum Design and Instruction.

I want to learn how to harness the power of the educational materials already on the web to  personalize learning for different types of learners.  I'm a fan of Barbara Bray(pictured at right) and her Personalized Learning strategies.  I am also interested in writing and designing online curriculum.  I would love to work with Discovery Education, NASA, Apple Computers, or United States Geological Survey.

Kerr, Marcel S., Marcus C. Kerr, and Kimberly Rynearson. "Test of Online Learning Success." University of Houston Distance Education. University of Houston, 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.