Hi Dean! First, let me say that you have a done a great job with this module. The content is so relevant and you have presented it in a clear, concise way that makes it easily accessible for all teachers. I have always been confused about this Web 2.0 business and what it means for educators – but you have brought it all together in a central location.
I think one of the strengths of your module, is that if it was kept open and available at all times, it could become a resource that teachers could return to time and time again. It would be nice to have your module bookmarked as a reference to consult whenever I decide to use any of the tools.
I do agree that the strength of your module is the design. It is very straight forward and easy to navigate. It is also visually appealing. The Word Cloud at the beginning caught my eye right away and again, was very relevant to the topic at hand.
I think you used Google Docs appropriately given the platform used to present the module. Incorporating a discussion board would likely be easier if you had a learning management system platform that you could use to host your course. I think the challenge here is the going to be the time frame with respect to participant interaction. How long are people able to interact and contribute to the Google Doc? Will there be a time limit or could there be some place that could hold all the best practices and ideas that participants have shared? I’m just thinking that if I worked through this module three months later than other teachers, would I still get to see their ideas or would it be blank slate?
In Lesson 1, one suggestion I had would be to embed the youtube video right on the page. I think by embedding it, your participants would be less likely to skip over it or ignore it. Along the same lines, you have included some great links to sites, but I wonder if it would be possible to provide some ideas in your content. For example, could you give a few examples of how educators could use twitter in their classroom instead of making the participants click on all the links trying to find the information? Again, I’m just thinking a couple of examples could get people excited and make them more likely to click on the link for further ideas.
Lastly, I think it was a great idea to include an evaluation at the end of the lessons. Given that your target audience is teachers, I would suspect that they would be willing to offer suggestions and provide relevant answers to your questions!
It is evident that you put a lot of work into the module. I think I am going to copy some of those links so that I can use them in the future as well!
Hi Lindsay, thanks for your blog post and the voicethread comment. The suggestion of imbedding the video is appreciated...thanks! I plan to do this but will wait until my showcase dates are over. I agree that if the video is embedded, participants are more likely to click on it than to skim over it. I agree that I could have given learners a few examples. My idea here was that teachers using the resource would read through the information, watch some of the videos and then collaborate together to develop ideas together that would best suit them and relate to the content they were teaching. Having said that, you provide a very valuable point, a few suggestions could possibly motivate participants who are very new to the technology and not sure where to start. Great suggestion, thanks! Your point regarding the timeframe of the module is valid. How long would this be active, when would it start, how long would the docs. stay active, etc.? These are points that I will have to consider if and when I go "live" with the module. This would be a good conversation to have as educators begin using the tool and working through lesson 1. This conversation would fit well into the portion of the module where participants could discuss what they know and want to know. Great ideas and feedback Lindsay, thanks for your time in helping to make this module better!
From Sharon for Dean ...page 1 Hi Dean, Great Module! I will begin with a review of your narrative summary. It was very well done and provided a great base for your module. I was intrigued by your description of who you were targeting. The learners for this module are the teachers who teach K-12 and division technology professionals whom are interested in and motivated to learn about and try Web 2.0 tools to teach the curriuculum. Since I have no experience using Web 2.0, I was interested in exploring what is available after you introduction. I am interested to see how it can be utilized and fit into the bigger context of k-12 education. I believe that having a tool that can connect users and allow them to create, share, produce, and publish has exciting potential for teachers and students alike.
I appreciated the flexibility that presenting your module in wiki form provided. I too chose this as a way to display my unit. Connecting your ideas to Moodle was brilliant. I definitely see this type of learning being the method for professional development in the future! Having the flexibility to learn where, when, and how much certainly provides this for the teachers. I agree with your statement about adult learners needing to see the relevance and practicality as it applies to them. This is certainly true in the teaching profession. I also agreed with how you positioned Web tools in your summary. Web tools do not do the teaching, they are the tools by which teachers can enhance their teaching! I appreciated the tiered support you offered teachers. I know that suggesting a tool to be used will not fly if the adequate supports are not in place for the learners. Creating the networks within the learners so that they can learn and teach each other is a great idea. This will eliminate the feelings of isolation when tackling something new and challenging.
I appreciated the personal connection you had with this module and technology. It was evident that you were passionate about it. Finally, I agree with your concluding statements regarding teacher’s time and how there isn’t ever enough. I know teachers are conscientious about their craft and would recognize the benefits of the module you are offering them. Well done Dean!
From Sharon for Dean --- page 2. Hi again. Here is a bit more commentary. Now on with the module…. Is the Module designed in such a way as to reach/connect with and engage the learners for whom it is intended? Absolutely! This module is well laid out, easy to read, contains colorful clip art, etc. A teacher would feel comfortable and not intimidated in this module.
Is the content delivered in engaging, stimulating and challenging ways? Yes…there are plenty of hyperlinks to speed the learner to their desired area in the module as well as engaging videos and additional readings if a leaner wants to go deeper into something. I loved the way each lesson was set-up with a description of the tool, how to use it, its practical uses, and how it fits with the curriculum. I also appreciated the video support as so many learners learn by seeing and then doing. This was very well thought out Dean. Teachers would be very interested in this because of you have designed it!
Are the learning activities, multimedia elements (if any) and assignments/learner assessment samples relevant, appropriate? Do they help extend learning? Dean provided many videos to educate the teachers on each web tool. Questions were asked to link the web tool to the teacher’s own practice and to have them find connections within their own teaching. The evaluation that was presented was to inform the designer of things the learners liked and didn’t like, etc. This was not a module that would be taken for credit. The modules purpose was to inform those who are intrinsically motivated to learn the benefits of Web 2.0 tools.
What is the best aspect of the Module? What is exciting, interesting, unique, creative? The best aspect of this module was the way in which it was laid out. Providing a detailed description of the tool at the beginning of each section along with video support would assist teachers in stream-lining what they wanted to investigate much more quickly. Breaking the description down in to “how do I begin using this tool, how can it be practically used and how is it connected to the curriculum are all the things teachers need to see in order to understand its relevance in their teaching practice. I would use this myself and would show other administrators because we could all benefit from learning in this well laid out manner!
What would make it even better? If I had to pick something, I guess it would be giving the teachers a few specific activities that they could try with each tool. If they were walked through it with some sort of activity, their comfort level with the tool would be increased. I was very impressed with your work Dean. Your effort in designing this module and your passion in the topic itself, really shone through for me. Well done! Sharon
Hi Sharon, thanks for your positive feedback. I agree, some specific ideas for teachers may be helpful and may help them begin their thinking and development in this area. My hope was that the collaborative nature of the module would connect and network teachers so that they could share practical ideas as they emerge. Having said this, I still agree that some well-laid out examples and practical, curriculum aligned activities would be beneficial. Thanks Sharon!
Hey there Dean! Thank you so very much for attending my Adobe Connect meeting today. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your weekend to spend with me! Sorry that you did not have audio/video capability though! All the best, Mark
Hi Dean!
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say that you have a done a great job with this module. The content is so relevant and you have presented it in a clear, concise way that makes it easily accessible for all teachers. I have always been confused about this Web 2.0 business and what it means for educators – but you have brought it all together in a central location.
I think one of the strengths of your module, is that if it was kept open and available at all times, it could become a resource that teachers could return to time and time again. It would be nice to have your module bookmarked as a reference to consult whenever I decide to use any of the tools.
I do agree that the strength of your module is the design. It is very straight forward and easy to navigate. It is also visually appealing. The Word Cloud at the beginning caught my eye right away and again, was very relevant to the topic at hand.
I think you used Google Docs appropriately given the platform used to present the module. Incorporating a discussion board would likely be easier if you had a learning management system platform that you could use to host your course. I think the challenge here is the going to be the time frame with respect to participant interaction. How long are people able to interact and contribute to the Google Doc? Will there be a time limit or could there be some place that could hold all the best practices and ideas that participants have shared? I’m just thinking that if I worked through this module three months later than other teachers, would I still get to see their ideas or would it be blank slate?
In Lesson 1, one suggestion I had would be to embed the youtube video right on the page. I think by embedding it, your participants would be less likely to skip over it or ignore it. Along the same lines, you have included some great links to sites, but I wonder if it would be possible to provide some ideas in your content. For example, could you give a few examples of how educators could use twitter in their classroom instead of making the participants click on all the links trying to find the information? Again, I’m just thinking a couple of examples could get people excited and make them more likely to click on the link for further ideas.
Lastly, I think it was a great idea to include an evaluation at the end of the lessons. Given that your target audience is teachers, I would suspect that they would be willing to offer suggestions and provide relevant answers to your questions!
It is evident that you put a lot of work into the module. I think I am going to copy some of those links so that I can use them in the future as well!
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay, thanks for your blog post and the voicethread comment. The suggestion of imbedding the video is appreciated...thanks! I plan to do this but will wait until my showcase dates are over. I agree that if the video is embedded, participants are more likely to click on it than to skim over it. I agree that I could have given learners a few examples. My idea here was that teachers using the resource would read through the information, watch some of the videos and then collaborate together to develop ideas together that would best suit them and relate to the content they were teaching. Having said that, you provide a very valuable point, a few suggestions could possibly motivate participants who are very new to the technology and not sure where to start. Great suggestion, thanks! Your point regarding the timeframe of the module is valid. How long would this be active, when would it start, how long would the docs. stay active, etc.? These are points that I will have to consider if and when I go "live" with the module. This would be a good conversation to have as educators begin using the tool and working through lesson 1. This conversation would fit well into the portion of the module where participants could discuss what they know and want to know. Great ideas and feedback Lindsay, thanks for your time in helping to make this module better!
DeleteFrom Sharon for Dean ...page 1
ReplyDeleteHi Dean,
Great Module! I will begin with a review of your narrative summary. It was very well done and provided a great base for your module. I was intrigued by your description of who you were targeting. The learners for this module are the teachers who teach K-12 and division technology professionals whom are interested in and motivated to learn about and try Web 2.0 tools to teach the curriuculum. Since I have no experience using Web 2.0, I was interested in exploring what is available after you introduction. I am interested to see how it can be utilized and fit into the bigger context of k-12 education. I believe that having a tool that can connect users and allow them to create, share, produce, and publish has exciting potential for teachers and students alike.
I appreciated the flexibility that presenting your module in wiki form provided. I too chose this as a way to display my unit. Connecting your ideas to Moodle was brilliant. I definitely see this type of learning being the method for professional development in the future! Having the flexibility to learn where, when, and how much certainly provides this for the teachers. I agree with your statement about adult learners needing to see the relevance and practicality as it applies to them. This is certainly true in the teaching profession. I also agreed with how you positioned Web tools in your summary. Web tools do not do the teaching, they are the tools by which teachers can enhance their teaching!
I appreciated the tiered support you offered teachers. I know that suggesting a tool to be used will not fly if the adequate supports are not in place for the learners. Creating the networks within the learners so that they can learn and teach each other is a great idea. This will eliminate the feelings of isolation when tackling something new and challenging.
I appreciated the personal connection you had with this module and technology. It was evident that you were passionate about it. Finally, I agree with your concluding statements regarding teacher’s time and how there isn’t ever enough. I know teachers are conscientious about their craft and would recognize the benefits of the module you are offering them. Well done Dean!
From Sharon for Dean --- page 2.
ReplyDeleteHi again. Here is a bit more commentary.
Now on with the module….
Is the Module designed in such a way as to reach/connect with and engage the learners for whom it is intended?
Absolutely! This module is well laid out, easy to read, contains colorful clip art, etc. A teacher would feel comfortable and not intimidated in this module.
Is the content delivered in engaging, stimulating and challenging ways?
Yes…there are plenty of hyperlinks to speed the learner to their desired area in the module as well as engaging videos and additional readings if a leaner wants to go deeper into something. I loved the way each lesson was set-up with a description of the tool, how to use it, its practical uses, and how it fits with the curriculum. I also appreciated the video support as so many learners learn by seeing and then doing. This was very well thought out Dean. Teachers would be very interested in this because of you have designed it!
Are the learning activities, multimedia elements (if any) and assignments/learner assessment samples relevant, appropriate? Do they help extend learning?
Dean provided many videos to educate the teachers on each web tool. Questions were asked to link the web tool to the teacher’s own practice and to have them find connections within their own teaching. The evaluation that was presented was to inform the designer of things the learners liked and didn’t like, etc. This was not a module that would be taken for credit. The modules purpose was to inform those who are intrinsically motivated to learn the benefits of Web 2.0 tools.
What is the best aspect of the Module? What is exciting, interesting, unique, creative?
The best aspect of this module was the way in which it was laid out. Providing a detailed description of the tool at the beginning of each section along with video support would assist teachers in stream-lining what they wanted to investigate much more quickly. Breaking the description down in to “how do I begin using this tool, how can it be practically used and how is it connected to the curriculum are all the things teachers need to see in order to understand its relevance in their teaching practice. I would use this myself and would show other administrators because we could all benefit from learning in this well laid out manner!
What would make it even better?
If I had to pick something, I guess it would be giving the teachers a few specific activities that they could try with each tool. If they were walked through it with some sort of activity, their comfort level with the tool would be increased.
I was very impressed with your work Dean. Your effort in designing this module and your passion in the topic itself, really shone through for me. Well done!
Sharon
Hi Sharon, thanks for your positive feedback. I agree, some specific ideas for teachers may be helpful and may help them begin their thinking and development in this area. My hope was that the collaborative nature of the module would connect and network teachers so that they could share practical ideas as they emerge. Having said this, I still agree that some well-laid out examples and practical, curriculum aligned activities would be beneficial. Thanks Sharon!
ReplyDeleteHey there Dean! Thank you so very much for attending my Adobe Connect meeting today. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your weekend to spend with me! Sorry that you did not have audio/video capability though!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mark
No problem Mark, my pleasure! I enjoyed the session!
Delete