Week 3 EDUC5101G Blog - responses to two other students

Response to Rachel:  http://racheleduc5101.blogspot.ca/

Hi Rachel, I really enjoyed your extensive list, and I've already checked out two new tools I've never heard of, so thank you :) I would love to see a demo of how you used classtools.net, and some of the other tools you've mentioned. The application of google apps suite is awesome too. I'm going to think about how I can take advantage of this more in my own asynchronous college classroom.



Response to Janet:  http://janetyg.blogspot.ca/2016/01/week-3-educ5101g-post-digital-tools-for.html?showComment=1454377044868#c5951596648395933738

Hi Janet,

I loved reading the trends, very interesting.

I also find it interesting to read about what the corporate world is doing for their training. 

Last year at the Advancing Learning Conference I saw Articulate Storyline and absolutely loved it. As you know, it is ideal for asynchronous course design and development. But on my return back to Durham I discovered it's not in our faculty laptop image - it's an expensive license. 

Some of the bigger colleges have separate departments that have people who do nothing but instructional design and the faculty are SMEs who simply provide their paper-based old-school content for adaptation into the online learning network (SMEs=subject matter expert). 

At Durham (and most other colleges) we are SMEs and we design our own online courses from the ground up, using our standard laptop image software platforms (nothing out of the ordinary) and free digital tools. While the academic freedom is unlimited (and of course I love that), at times standards can suffer. I believe a blend of freedom combined with some standards would be ideal (and a bagful of money to buy cool equipment and software too).

Week 2 EDUC5101G Post - Digital Tools

Here’s a list of digital tools (and software) I’ve used this week:  Wikispaces, Weebly, Padlet, Word, Google Docs, Excel, Chrome, Explorer, Realtime Boards (MindMaps), Videoscribe, Adobe Connect and Adobe Connect plug-in for Word Clouds, Outlook, PowerPoint, Prezi, D2L, Camtasia, SnagIt, Blogger, YouTube, Socrative.  How many of these tools do you recognize?  What does your list look like this week?  I’ve probably left a few off the list (and I’ve excluded smartphone apps).   A couple of these tools are brand-new to me, introduced by UOIT classmates, but most I’ve used at an intermediate or advanced level.  Like almost all of my colleagues, I’m self-taught with every one of these tools.

Sometimes keeping up with the latest digital tools is a fulltime job all by itself.  Having taken some time off from the UOIT MEd program and my studies, I’m surely feeling that right now (and playing catch up).  There’s a seemingly endless supply train of digital tools, what’s in, what’s out, steamrolling through our lives.  Do you remember the first time you saw YouTube?  A touch screen?  FaceTime?  Everyone has their favourites of the moment.  I know I’m in the business of online training, but I have to admit, I get truly excited when I find a new tool that really works for my needs.  This week, I’m excited about free extensions for Adobe Connect, Adobe has a doorbell (and a digital timer, and a word cloud generator)!  Take a look at this link too, the EdSurgeProduct Index for a few more digital tools (1500 or so).

But before you get carried away (and sidetracked), ask yourself the most important question:  WHY are you using the digital tool?  Let’s stop that steamrolling train for a moment and think…what exactly do these tools ADD to the learning experience?  WHY are we using them?

We need to be very aware of our motivation – in fact, the use of digital tools needs to be pedagogy-driven.  They need to add value.  That’s exactly the point of this article:  InSuccessful Edtech, Pedagogy Comes First--Devices Second.  Two ideas in this article resonate with me, firstly:  “when planning edtech initiatives, ensure that mastery of pedagogy is in place or in the works”.  This tool, My SmartHealthCare, is used at Durham College in our Paramedic program.  Its simulations are designed to allow students to practice techniques and decision making in a variety of life-threatening situations that replicate the real experience of the business of being a paramedic and saving lives.  Having mastered simulations, the next step is to bring these students into live practicum training.  Good pedagogy is illustrated here, this isn’t just a theoretical tool that’s definition based, it’s real-world simulations.  Another idea from the article that resonates is that we must “understand that technology is there to help teachers”.  The tool should assist the teacher, and add value in some meaningful way.  We have to be sure we’re not simply using technology for the sake of using technology (or due to some administrative requirement or other motivation).  Have you ever been asked to develop or deliver online teaching due to an administrative policy (such as, 20% of our training must be online by 2017)?

I love meeting with other online teachers and talking to them about what digital tools they’re using, how they use them in their classes, what works, and what doesn’t.  It saves me time and wasted effort.  That’s one of the things I have really enjoyed about taking UOIT courses, getting great ideas from my classmates!  I have a few assignments I share regularly (at DC and with UOIT folks too), such as creating a Padlet Internet Artifact, creating a course- and student-centered Wiki (similar to Dr Bill Hunter’s Principles of Learning Wiki), and smaller activities such as creating two Mind Maps as a reflective exercise on learning achieved (this one was created by a colleague).

What’s your favourite “cool” digital tool?  How do you use it?

Contact me...

michelle.rivers@durhamcollege.ca

Twitter:@profmichrivers

Week 2 Responses to Other Students

Week 2 Response to James Elsdon:
http://jameselsdon.weebly.com/blog/the-p-with-pbl#comments

Hi James,

Grading the PROCESS of PBL is an interesting challenge and one I can relate to. In my two courses my underlying main theme is critical thinking, and that itself is process PBL.

I teach students the step-by-step process of critical thinking and then we move on to applying this process to specific course topics (Stonehenge, ESP) and evaluate veracity and worth. I developed all of the course content from my brain, including all assignments (we have no curriculum designers at college, we are totally on our own - which is an interesting topic for another post I think!)

Anyways, I realized I wasn't doing a great job marking their critical thinking process when grading their assignments (I used to teach Accounting and Computers mostly, so teaching critical thinking was a huge change for me). I've had to re-think, and re-vamp my rubrics to fit in with my essential learning outcome - being able to think critically.

Designing a good assignment that applied critical thinking was my first challenge, then figuring out how to mark their process (their critical thinking) was my next challenge. Consider too, that these students are all online and asynchronous, so all my instructions have to be super-clear, and super-detailed. My rule of thumb: if two students ask the same question, my instructions are sub-par.

It took me a long time, and many edits to design an effective rubric that doesn't take me 3,000 hours to mark my 200 students' work. I'm still revising my rubric (I think I always will be!). The great thing about teaching, there's always room for improvement and growth.

Week 2 Response to Rob Power:

https://robpower74.blogspot.ca/2016/01/are-there-limits-to-distributed-learning.html?showComment=1453665274101#c8813707906021325453 

Hi Rob,

I find your insights around the changes (trends) in education over the last 10 years really interesting. My job has changed so much, it’s unbelievable, truly. Looking back to look forward, very thought-provoking. The first thing that came to mind was a lecture in one of my other UOIT classes – a discussion about tipping points. It’s funny how some things you learn stick with you…for some reason, the concept of a tipping point is absolutely fascinating to me (I still want to develop a General Education subject about significant tipping points in history, after I develop my next course, which is about Futurity). 

So to define a tipping point: "the point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change." You can always read Malcolm Gladwell’s book "The Tipping Point" (http://gladwell.com/the-tipping-point/the-tipping-point-q-and-a/) for his take on “understanding why change so often happens as quickly and as unexpectedly as it does” and his stimulating ideas on the epidemic nature of change in our society. We are all experiencing tremendous technological advances right now, we may be in the middle of many tipping points that we aren’t even aware of, in the moment. 

In the UOIT lecture I remember we were presented with visuals of different tools, one image depicted advanced tools in medicine (thankfully we’ve come a long way since bloodletting). The lecture theorized that tipping points begin with the introduction of new innovative tools (example: an invention of an advanced medical tool). As the use of the new innovative tool spreads and catches on throughout the discipline, voila, suddenly there’s your tipping point! A whole new level has been reached! 

Of course this theory is especially applicable to education, right now. We have these advanced tools, software, capabilities, and their use and application is spreading. As our best efforts and practices spread and evolve, we are all a part of this tipping point in education. It’s about time too – how long has the chalkboard been around? :)

Michelle Rivers

Reply

Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Mind Map Reflective Learning (DRAFT)

Mind Map – 5% of term

A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the centre, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches.

The purpose of this activity is to determine what you currently know about the Canadian Criminal Justice System.  There are no right or wrong answers.  Googling the words in order to create the mind map is not the purpose of the activity.  At the conclusion of this course, you will create another mind map and the comparison between the two will indicate your learning throughout the course.

Mind Map Activity You will create a mind map with the words “Criminal Justice System” placed in the centre. 1.   Download the cmap tool at http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/ 2.   Create a new mind map with “Criminal Justice System” in the centre. 3.   Add at least 10 other words that represent what you currently know about the Criminal Justice System.  Be sure to create links between the words in the map. 4.   Once completed, save the map with your name in the document name.  Submit your completed map to the Mind Map Dropbox before Sunday at midnight.

Mind Map Conclusion – 5% of term

A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the centre, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches.

The purpose of this activity is to visually show what you have learned about the Canadian Criminal Justice System.  There are no right or wrong answers.  Googling the words in order to create the mind map is not the purpose of the activity.  A comparison between the original mind map and this new conclusion map will indicate your learning throughout the course.

Mind Map Activity You will create a mind map with the words “Criminal Justice System” placed in the centre. 1.   Download the cmap tool at http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/ 2.   If you created a mind map at the beginning of the course, use it as a reference to create this new map.  You can still complete this assignment if you did not submit an original map. 3.   Create a new mind map with “Criminal Justice System” in the centre and save it as “Mind Map Conclusion – your name”. 4.   Add as many subcategories and words that represent what you now know about the Criminal Justice System.  Be sure to create links between the words in the map. 5.   Once completed, submit your completed map to the Mind Map Dropbox before Thursday, December 5, 2013 at midnight. 6.   Additionally, when submitting the mind map to the dropbox, create a paragraph explaining the differences between the two maps.  If you did not complete an original map, complete your paragraph on what you feel you have learned from this course.

Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Padlet Internet Artifact (DRAFT)

GNED 1512 – Assignment 2 – Padlet Wall

***DRAFT***

Step 1:  decide if you're working alone or in a group.

This assignment may be completed by an individual or as a group of 2-4 students – your choice.  If you choose to work in a group you will all earn the same grade (there is no peer evaluation) – so make your choice wisely.

Step 2:  reserve a topic. 

Here’s a list of possible topics to help you get some ideas, but you can choose any topic within the course content.  If you're not sure about your topic, email your professor to get approval.

• Event (eg:  TAM 2014/2015)
• Person (eg:  James Randi)
• Place (eg:  Cassadaga)
• Pseudoscience topic (eg:  Haunted Houses)
• Belief (eg:  Psychology of Belief)
• Research (eg:  Research Studies about Near-Death Experiences)
• Experiments (eg:  scientific tests of Pseudoscience)
• Organization (eg:  JREF)
• Pseudoscience Red Flags (eg:  Appeal to Authority)
• Dangers of Pseudoscience (eg:  medical, financial)
• Historical Pseudoscience (eg: things we now know are Pseudoscience)

Screenshot of course topics:

Reserve your topic in DC Connect discussions:  Assignment 2 TOPIC reservations.  There are NO REPEATS; topic reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you're working in a group, only one student needs to reserve the topic for the group.  Once a topic is reserved in DC Connect discussions, no one else can use that topic, so YOU MUST read the other posts to check what’s already reserved.

Step 3:  learn how to use Padlet.

First watch this video to learn how to use Padlet (9:09):

View sample walls on the Padlet Gallery. 

Go to Padlet and create an account (to save your “wall”).  NOTE:  your wall will be shared on a course wall (accessible to all students). 

Step 4:  create the Padlet wall.

Your Padlet wall is an Internet artifact of your research on your topic.  Research your topic and include the following 11 posts on your Padlet wall:

• Post #1:  a suitable title for the wall and your full name (if you’re working in a group include all member names).

• Posts #2-10:  post 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images.  

Using Google or other Internet search techniques, look for 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images, and post these on your Padlet wall.  

Tip:  look for content that has some depth so you can analyze and write about it (keep reading!).

For each of your posts #2-10 write a brief paragraph (3-6 sentences).  Do not copy from a website, you must write your own paragraph!

The first sentence should describe the post (brief overview).  Then write 2-5 sentences analyzing your post through application of critical thinking and skepticism.  Your analysis sentences should include:

• identification and description of connections to course learning/terminology  - look for red flags, reasons for belief, other course learning/terminology;
• identification and description of limitations and flaws - look for mistakes, missing/incomplete evidence, fake evidence, assumptions, biases, emotions, credentials of the source, motivation of the source ($).

Helpful documents:  Week 2 Critical Thinking and Skepticism (PowerPoint file).pptx and Reasons for Belief and Red Flags Summary Page.docx.

Tip:  some posts have several course connections, limitations and flaws, while other posts have very limited course connections, limitations and flaws.  Therefore some paragraphs will be shorter than others, depending on the depth of the post and the learning connections you identify.

• Post #11:  post a Word document on your wall that answers the following reflective discussion questions:

1. What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you?
2. Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.
3. Which research did you find most interesting?  Why?
4. What are you most likely to remember from this research?

Tip:  you will be graded on the overall organization and design of the Padlet wall so make sure your wall looks good, is easy to read, follows a logical order, and flows well.  Try looking at the Padlet Gallery to get some ideas.  Spend some time adding to the visual appearance (background, colours, drag to resize and reposition your posts).

Marking Scheme:

• Completion of all 12 content items:  20 marks
• Quality of content items and descriptive paragraphs:  30 marks
• Analysis (connections to course learning):  30 marks
• Organization and design of wall:  10 marks
• Mechanics of writing:  10 marks

Step 5:  submit your assignment in dropbox AND on the Padlet wall.

Submit to the dropbox for Assignment 2:  type a message in dropbox that includes a hyperlink to your Padlet wall, then attach the Word document that contains your reflective responses.  If you worked in a group choose one person to submit to dropbox, and make sure the dropbox message also includes all the group member names.

Post a link to your Padlet wall on the class wall at this link:  Winter 2016 GNED 1512 Course Padlet Wall.

Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Wikiography Assignment (DRAFT)

GNED 1515 – Assignment 3 – Wikiography

***DRAFT***

This assignment may be completed by an individual or as a group of 2-4 students – your choice.

Assignment 3 is due to DC Connect Dropbox by 11 pm on Sunday, March 30.

Step 1:  Join the Wiki

·         You will be sent a link to your preferred email address inviting you to join a new Wiki created for this course.  If you didn’t receive the email invite, request it by emailing your teacher.

·         In the email invite click accept to join the wiki:  watch this video on How To Join a Wiki in Wikispaces (2:01) and follow the instructions.

·         This collaborative wiki will be publicly available.

Step 2:  Select and Reserve a Topic

·         Topic reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

·         Go to the wiki to view available topics (there’s over 60 topics so far).  You will see that each topic has two spaces for reservations – once both reservations are filled, that topic is no longer available for others. 

·         If you have an idea for a topic that is not on the list, email your teacher to make a request.

·         Watch this video How to Reserve a Topic in Wikispaces (2:15) and follow the instructions to reserve your topic.

·         Your topic reservation is due by 11 pm on Sunday, March 16.

Pictured:  Partial List of Available Topics

Step 3:  Research and Add Wiki Contribution Content

·         Once you’ve reserved your topic, your teacher will create a wiki page for you to submit content.  Your wiki page will have specific sections with headings and questions.

Pictured:  Sample Student Wiki Page showing section headings and questions

·         If there are two reservations for your topic, there will be two separate wiki pages (one for you, and one for another student).  Make sure that your wiki page has different content than the other student submission for your topic (this is also first-come, first-serve).

·         Add content to complete your wiki page:

o   All research should be easy-to-read, clearly organized, and detailed.

o   Each content item should be introduced with an explanatory sentence describing the content.

o   Include references to course content and terminology.

o   Use complete sentences – spelling and grammar will be marked.

o   Include 3 videos.

o   Include 3 websites.

o   Include 3 images (make sure you cite your sources for these images).

o   Under the Critical Thinking and Skepticism section of your wiki page, include your own unique insights about how your topic research relates to critical thinking and skepticism.  For example, if your topic is Astrology, you could upload a video that debunks Astrology and then state specifically how critical thinking and skepticism are apparent in the video.  Here’s another example:  for the topic Dangers of Pseudoscience, you could upload a website with an example of a danger, and then state specifically how critical thinking and skepticism are absent.

o   Under the Future Possibilities section of your wiki page, include your own unique insights about possibilities for the future within your topic area.  For example, you could include insights about things like research ideas to prove or disprove a pseudoscience, projects that could advance our knowledge, or how we could advance education on pseudoscience or critical thinking.  These insights should be related to your topic.

o   Under the Research Reflections section of your wiki page, answer these questions:

§  What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you?

§  Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.

§  Which research did you find most interesting?  Why?

§  What are you most likely to remember from this research?

o   Include your sources in full (include URL links wherever possible, and cite other types of resources).

You will be marked for completing the required instructions above. Your grade will also include marks for:

• The overall organization – make sure it’s easy to read, follows a logical order, and flows well.
• The overall design – make sure it’s appealing for the reader (looks good), spend some time resizing content and adding to the visual appearance.
• Include sources in full. The mechanics of your writing will be assessed (spelling, grammar, writing errors).
• The quality of your content, comments, descriptions, and responses will be assessed:

o For every item you add create your own summary comments to introduce the item and describe how it’s relevant and significant.

o Include multiple references to course content/terminology.

o Clearly state your own unique insights about how you applied critical thinking and skepticism.

o Include insights about any limitations/flaws and suggest possible improvements/future research.

Watch this video on How to Add Content to a Page in Wikispaces (8:53) to learn how to add different types of content (video links, website links, images, text).  Also watch this video on How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06), and be sure to make regular backups so you don’t lose any of your work.

Step 4 – Create your Wikiography and Submit

·         Create a duplicate copy of your wiki page in Microsoft Word by following the instructions in this video How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06).  This backup will be your Wikiography file.

·         Submit your Wikiography in DC Connect in Dropbox.  If you haven’t used Dropbox before, watch this video on How to Use Dropbox in DC Connect (1:41) and another video on How to Use DC Connect (4:58) - note dropbox is covered from 2:45-3:57.

Here’s the “How To” videos again:

·         How To Join a Wiki in Wikispaces (2:01)

·         How to Reserve a Topic in Wikispaces (2:15)

·         How to Add Content to a Page in Wikispaces (8:53)

·         How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06)

·         How to Use Dropbox in DC Connect (1:41) and another video on How to Use DC Connect (4:58) - note dropbox is covered from 2:45-3:57

Week 1 EDUC5101G Post - Introductory First Blog

I am working on my 7th and 8th courses in the MEd program this term.  I'm finishing the program this year (maybe even this spring).  

I have always lived in Oshawa, and I've only worked at Durham College - I'm in my 25th academic year (8 years in support staff followed by 17 years teaching full-time).  I earned my BA at York University in Administrative Studies (similar to a Business or Commerce program).  I've also co-authored 3 textbooks and 2 workbooks for Nelson Publishing in the Office Administration discipline.  I'm a lifer in the education business for sure!

For the last two years I've been teaching online, at Durham College this means fully asynchronous.  I've been teaching two courses I developed from the ground up:  Paranormal and Pseudoscience, and World Mysteries.  The courses have a strong underlying theme:  critical thinking, an essential employability skill our employers value highly, and one that many of our students need to improve.

Students select their General Education electives from a pool of around 70 courses (every full-time student is required to take Gen Ed).  My courses "sell out" - I hook them with the cool content (who isn't interested in near-death experiences, ghosts, ESP, and the like)...and then I teach them science stuff, methodology, evidence evaluation, and how to apply critical thinking to topics they're totally engaged in.  I've gotta be honest, I LOVE my job.

Developing courses online at Durham College has been a huge challenge, at the same time it's been really interesting.  My MEd courses at UOIT have helped me a lot, in a practical way:  learning cool digital tools and using them right away in my courses; developing content that is entirely UDL for our students; and being an online student has taught me what works and what doesn't (from a student perspective).  EDUC5101G will no doubt give me lots of new ideas to incorporate.

If you're interested, here's a Snag It screencast video about how my Paranormal and Pseudoscience course works (kind of like a course commercial).  

On a personal note, my husband Mark manages to put up with me, and we have two kids, Nick (16) and Rylee (13), and two dogs.  Here's a couple pictures :)

I chose Blogger because I've used it in the past, and I like the functionality.

I'm looking forward to this course, and getting to know each of you!

Contact me...

michelle.rivers@durhamcollege.ca

Twitter:@profmichrivers