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Reflection
In twenty-four years of teaching, I've made lots of mistakes, but I think that one thing that I got right was to always place an strong emphasis on active and dynamic learning experiences in my classes. At first, however, I think I made the mistake of thinking that it was important that I as a teacher be active and dynamic in how I taught. Over the years, I realized that the better question to ask is "How dynamic and active are my students?" With that in mind, I've worked hard to keep my classes as far towards the dynamic end of things as possible. I'm very much an advocate, for example, of Clay Shirky's position that social media has the potential to alter the world. With that said, I think we tend to teach as we were taught, and it's constantly been a struggle for me to keep pushing the edge of the envelope in terms of engaging content and dynamic learning experiences.
I especially struggled when I created my first online course. It was as if I'd forgotten everything I learned from teaching traditional classes, and Moller's (2008) point that we move toward the future with our eye on the past was never more apparent. The course was filled with multiple-choice quizzes and PDF files. In my defense, the technology was not there yet even to deliver reliable video content. The dynamic tools currently available to online teachers simply weren't available then. But what was equally apparent as I look back on that course was that I didn't have a dynamic approach to the class either. As I gained more experience, I think I've been able to build more dynamic learning experiences into the courses that I work on.
Through taking this course, I've become exposed to even more tools for allowing students to create dynamic content, and I'm excited to try to implement them in my classes. I've greatly appreciated the opportunity to incorporate these tools into my learning experiences.
I'd also like to offer up a couple of observations on making the dynamic-static mind map...
First, it struck me that many of the tools could easily go into more than one place. Google Docs, for example, could easily only be used as a static technology for storage and display of non-editable documents. At the same time, you could employ Google Docs as a real-time collaborative tool. In the same way, Google Docs could easily be a tool for content-sharing rather than just collaboration.
Second, the hardest section for me to fill out was the static collaborative tools section. It almost seems as if those places are contradictions in terms. Collaboration, by its nature, implies interaction and dynamic activity. In the end, however, I realized that many of the places where we store our creative works are perhaps the best examples of places where collaboration occurs, but in very much a one-way direction.
References
Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper]. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/14936/CRS-WUEDUC8812-3730064/8842_M5_Paper.pdf
Hello Mike, You must be a very caring hardworking teacher! You can tell from reading your self assessment that you are motivated to learn and find ways to better provide for your students. Your concept map is a great visual display of the static/dynamic continuum. I also like how you chose to place classroom dropboxes as a static technology for collaboration. I agree with you that most of these technologies can be used interchangeably for communication, content and collaboration. Good for you that you are already teaching online courses. What better way to construct knowledge about teaching and learning in the online environment than to experience both sides. I still don't use googledocs, nor do I really know its function, however your mention of them as a dynamic technology has motivated me to look it up. I guess I should just google it! Thanks
ReplyDeleteNice map, good job. I thought it was interesting that you posted mail under static. I wouldn't have thought of that. I figured that someone would comment on my paper post under static. These are simple things but they have been around for a long time. Maybe way back they would have been considered dynamic. Do you think so?
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteI love to see veteran teachers like you, who aren't jaded, but are still motivated and energized about teaching our youth. Your concept map is well done, and like Karen, I do agree with you that most of the technologies can be used interchangeably in the three categories. How do you like teaching online courses? What is the biggest difference that you see there vs. in your traditional classroom? Are there things that you miss in either teaching format?
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI love Google Docs! I started using them about four years ago, and now I almost never open up Word or Excel. The collaborative features are fantastic. It can save hours if you have to co-create documents.
If you'd like to test some collaboration using one sometime, let me know. I'd be happy to log on at the same time and show you.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI was standing next to our online enrollment person today, and looking at all the paper she still deals with from schools that aren't digitally established. There are oodles of student records and enrollment forms, and it dawned on me that we still have segments of our educational systems that heavily rely on paper to store and move information.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteOops, one more thing. That's a fascinating comment about paper being considered dynamic hundreds of years ago, and I bet you are correct. I wonder, does dynamic = faster than average?
Hi Mayci,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. Lots of things to answer, but yes, I enjoy teaching online a lot. The biggest difference I notice is that it is a lot less stressful because you've almost completely removed classroom discipline and management from the equation, which is a huge plus in the online world. I guess sometimes I have to make some comments in the discussion forums or edit an inappropriate post, but usually it's once and then it's done for good.
I do however, miss the in person interaction with the students. I feel like I get to know my online students, but at the same time it's not quite the same as when I have a bunch of students in a traditional classroom.
Mike
ReplyDeleteMy international teacher, your focus is direct. I like the fact that you put your students first. that's great. Another thing that is great is Google Docs. It's really an interesting tool, and it does serve on the dynamic side of the technology.
Unlike you, my hardest task was to fit the dynamic technology in place on the concept map, but as I said in my blog, even though I am steering towards this side of the technology, I tend to lean towards where I am coming from - static technology, which is not good for a scholar practitioner.
I suppose it's my technology custom, a habit that I am trying to break, and this course is doing so, thanks to Dr. Powley.
With your online teaching experience, I have learned a lot from you. Many of the tools you have on your concept map are great. You may soon have to remove the regular postal mail from the map, and leave email. What do you think? Can a country really do without its traditional mailing system?