Tim Johnson's Posts - Classroom 2.02024-03-28T09:07:29ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1950597182?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3pvwoihjbfxiv&xn_auth=noOnline Educationtag:www.classroom20.com,2013-02-18:649749:BlogPost:9129732013-02-18T10:47:04.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>I’ve been taking a number of classes online through websites like Coursera and the MIT Opencourseware. While the MIT courses are entirely self-paced, the Coursera classes are done in real-time and vary from 2-weeks to 12-weeks in length. The one I’m currently taking is about algorithms and programming in Java. It’s run by teacher assistants, alongside the professor, and is exceptionally well-designed. The site itself is easily navigated, well maintained, and can be viewed from just about any…</p>
<p>I’ve been taking a number of classes online through websites like Coursera and the MIT Opencourseware. While the MIT courses are entirely self-paced, the Coursera classes are done in real-time and vary from 2-weeks to 12-weeks in length. The one I’m currently taking is about algorithms and programming in Java. It’s run by teacher assistants, alongside the professor, and is exceptionally well-designed. The site itself is easily navigated, well maintained, and can be viewed from just about any country (Can’t watch Youtube in China and so many lectures are posted there). There are video lectures, assignments that are randomly generated so you can’t just plug in the answers and go back and try again, and programming assignments that are actually graded. It feels similar to taking an on campus computer science class but without the headache of parking. You also are better able to communicate with your peers, as it’s much more comfortable to approach someone on the net than in person. The discussion forums are filled with helpful and bright individuals willing to lend guidance. The conversations are lively, questions are answered quickly, and it makes you want to participate and help out where you can. In truth, this format does a better job than most classrooms, as it differentiates based on work speed, allows feedback from multiple sources, all while creating a structured learning environment. For people like myself that find themselves too distracted to sit quietly while someone lectures for an hour this type of structure is perfect. It allows me to take in pieces of information instead of trying to swallow a whole chunk at once.</p>
<p>There are challenges to online education, especially when you apply it to younger age groups. The obvious one is that it takes self-motivation. It takes a person that wants to learn and is willing to put in the time. Not everyone is as intrinsically motivated, and having the class environment there to push them often helps. We are already seeing a push towards online education in rural areas, as well as for students that aren’t coping with a traditional educational environment. It will take some time to get students to adjust and to teach parents how to take help shoulder the burden of oversight, but in the future I expect to see online education grow in ways we never expected. The day that the teacher is merely there to supervise and lend the occasional hand is the day we’ve perfected education. </p>Views on VRtag:www.classroom20.com,2013-02-12:649749:BlogPost:9115962013-02-12T07:16:21.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>It was very difficult to find any information in opposition to virtual reality. Most of what I found were asides in pro-VR papers talking about the possible loss of actual human interaction and how if the VR world fails to adequately represent the real world it can cause problems for those that rely on it as a teaching tool. After doing the research I am even more convinced that VR will be a useful component of future education. <br></br> The VR worlds can offer a number of things that…</p>
<p>It was very difficult to find any information in opposition to virtual reality. Most of what I found were asides in pro-VR papers talking about the possible loss of actual human interaction and how if the VR world fails to adequately represent the real world it can cause problems for those that rely on it as a teaching tool. After doing the research I am even more convinced that VR will be a useful component of future education. <br/> The VR worlds can offer a number of things that traditional classroom cannot provide, such as 1-to-1 instruction with hands-on experience. It can give the student instant feedback and guidance and note their progress in real-time. Have feedback given in this manner means students don’t have to wait, thus losing their train of thought, and can continue on with other reliant work. Students will be able to engage others even when not in class, and questions and answers can be worked on collaboratively by the class, creating more of a learning community as opposed to a learning competition in search of high marks. This, I feel, has been one of the downfalls of modern education, where we turn it into a competition, pitting student against student to see who is the smartest in some subject. It’s demeaning and entirely defeats the purpose of education. We are even seeing it done at the State level whereby schools and teachers funding/pay is based upon the performance of the students. This is not education, this is a competitive practice that only encourages cheating, lying, and misrepresentation. You can look to modern sporting practices to see the correlation between highly-competitive environments and problems that come with it. I think that VR, a system where students can work at their own pace as well as with others would alleviate the stress many students feel to continually outdo their peers. Students can feel good about their own progression in a particular subject because the VR world gives them positive feedback and encouragement. They can work with other students towards a particular goals as opposed to a particular grade. This type of learning is prevalent in higher education online class via Coursera and various OpenCourseware sites. <br/>
I think we should encourage students to look at them like games, but the way they should be designed will stimulate learning anyways. When people play video games they do learn a number of things they would have known anyways. I learned a lot about the U.S. Civil War simply by playing a number of different video games based on it. I’ve learned physics through simulations and pattern recognition skills through puzzle-based games. Make games that education, not educational games.</p>Digital Citizenshiptag:www.classroom20.com,2013-02-01:649749:BlogPost:9082562013-02-01T02:48:58.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>In the last few years of teaching I have noticed that even though these are students that have grown up in the digital age they are still woefully unaware of how to act and maintain their safety on the net. This comes in the many forms, from unintentionally installing malware or spyware to divulging passwords to friends and even to online strangers. This unit has made me more aware of the needs of a clearly worded and straightforward digital citizenship document that all students need to be…</p>
<p>In the last few years of teaching I have noticed that even though these are students that have grown up in the digital age they are still woefully unaware of how to act and maintain their safety on the net. This comes in the many forms, from unintentionally installing malware or spyware to divulging passwords to friends and even to online strangers. This unit has made me more aware of the needs of a clearly worded and straightforward digital citizenship document that all students need to be made aware of. Students should take part in a class session on digital citizenship, along with regular refresher courses, that instill in them the need for safety online. Just like any other subject that we review and test on, the use of technology, should become an important part of the curriculum.</p>
<p>The attributes that we take for granted in our day to day use of the internet are things that students are not aware of. I never really thought about it much, but the way students and younger generations view the internet is not the same as those that grew up without it. They see it as something that has always been there and so in many ways it seems they take it for granted, treating it more as toy than as something which can cause harm. It’s like the way our generation views cars, more as a right than as something which should be treated and used with respect.</p>
<p>I’d like to actually look further into how various generations view the use of, and safety on, the internet, and to see the level of caution with which they use it. Are younger generations more apt to accept the information they receive via the net than older generations? Do students find the information there more valid than elsewhere? How do students view other sources of information? All of these will give us a view into the mind of students and how they view the net, and in turn better help us to educate them on how to effectively use it.</p>AUPtag:www.classroom20.com,2013-01-24:649749:BlogPost:9063482013-01-24T08:06:11.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>My school does not have a specific AUP, but covers rules for computer and electronic throughout the handbook. There is a code of conduct for the students as a whole, but no section specifically for computers. </p>
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<p>Due to a lack of an AUP there is no definition section. I think the lack of definitions stems from most of our students being fairly technologically adept. I would say at least 90% of them have smart phones and/or a laptop that they bring to school. They regularly use…</p>
<p>My school does not have a specific AUP, but covers rules for computer and electronic throughout the handbook. There is a code of conduct for the students as a whole, but no section specifically for computers. </p>
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<p>Due to a lack of an AUP there is no definition section. I think the lack of definitions stems from most of our students being fairly technologically adept. I would say at least 90% of them have smart phones and/or a laptop that they bring to school. They regularly use their own laptops in class. </p>
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<p>There is nothing about when students can use computers. Most of our students have their own computers, which they prefer to use over the slower school ones.</p>
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<p>The acceptable use section is short, with only a single sentence asking that the students use their personal computer equipment for educational uses. The unacceptable use is also a short section with guidelines that specify students are not to be gaming, watching movies, or looking at inappropriate materials during class. The inappropriate material applies for time that is not in class as well. Phones and gaming equipment is not to be used at all during the school day, while laptops are permitted and music is at the teacher’s permission. </p>
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<p>The school does not have a comprehensive AUP, as the code of conduct extends to all areas of interaction. There are few disciplinary problems beyond the using a cell phone during a class or looking at youku or youtube on their laptop. I feel if the school had more of an issue with these things an AUP would be developed. </p>
<p></p>Bloom's and Marzano's at my present school.tag:www.classroom20.com,2013-01-19:649749:BlogPost:9049272013-01-19T08:11:04.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
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<p> I’ve had a fair comprehension of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Marzano’s Strategies since I began my teacher’s training years ago, though the Digital Taxonomy is something I’m relatively new to. In past work environments we used Bloom’s terminology to create scaffolded lessons, working our way up to the creation stage in each class as well as throughout a unit. While Bloom’s was something we consciously did I found that Marzano’s was more something that came as a natural byproduct.…</p>
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<p> I’ve had a fair comprehension of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Marzano’s Strategies since I began my teacher’s training years ago, though the Digital Taxonomy is something I’m relatively new to. In past work environments we used Bloom’s terminology to create scaffolded lessons, working our way up to the creation stage in each class as well as throughout a unit. While Bloom’s was something we consciously did I found that Marzano’s was more something that came as a natural byproduct. For example, note-taking, practicing via homework, and reflecting on the individual lesson or overall unit, is a natural part of the classroom. Getting from the initial stages of Bloom’s to something more rigorous often takes conscious effort, especially from new teachers who often end up stuck in the teacher-led routine, as it’s easiest to control.</p>
<p> At the present time I am working for an IB school that has included many of these strategies into the regular curriculum. Reflection, feedback, and more creative avenues of expression are highly encouraged and regularly implemented in all subjects. So, while I haven’t been explicitly using Bloom’s or Marzano’s I feel that in just the way that I am teaching on a day-to-day basis I am hitting all necessary steps and traits of each. In a recent lesson with my year 9 class we explored graphing various types of linear and non-linear equations, with the students taking ownership of the discovery and creation of rules each type of equation produced. They first learned how to graph by hand using a t-chart as their basis for data, as well as Wolfram Alpha or their graphing calculator (if they had one), and then they went about classifying the equations. Within those classifications they would then create rules based upon what they found. The final step of this was for them to generate their own equations from these rules. Overall the few days we did this went quite well, and I felt the students learned a lot more from it than I could have taught via a direct approach.</p>
<p> Most of my current colleagues are using the same IB methods, which, when implemented seem to work quite well, so I’m not sure I could share much with them. In addition, most of them have gone through workshops involving Bloom’s and/or Marzano’s, so they are well-versed in it. The one thing I do believe I could share is the way I have implemented these strategies in the math class. In the last month or two I’ve been working on redesigning some of the lessons to better suit the IB. Restructuring the assignments and redesigning the way the chapter is laid out with previous units has yielded much success, and I'm hoping that future tinkering will do so as well.</p>Reflection on Bloom's Taxonomy and my current lessontag:www.classroom20.com,2013-01-16:649749:BlogPost:9037032013-01-16T10:50:40.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>This lesson could be improved in a variety of ways to best fit with the Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy. Since collaboration is stressed, it would be best to start with that, creating a task list and specific assignments within a group. A group would be composed of 3-4 students, each with a job and a list of tasks to be completed. Using this you can create self-checks and a system of cooperation whereby each student knows exactly what they, and the others, are accountable for. Have them post these…</p>
<p>This lesson could be improved in a variety of ways to best fit with the Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy. Since collaboration is stressed, it would be best to start with that, creating a task list and specific assignments within a group. A group would be composed of 3-4 students, each with a job and a list of tasks to be completed. Using this you can create self-checks and a system of cooperation whereby each student knows exactly what they, and the others, are accountable for. Have them post these goals in a spreadsheet on some online forum whereby students could check off what they did as they work on something at home. This could be done via a blog, GoogleDocs, or some equivalent system.</p>
<p>To step this up a little more you could simply give the students the data and tell them to use their data analysis and graphing skills to create meaning from it. They would then create their own tasks and roles within the group. Further adding onto this idea would be to tell students that they must find their own information, whether on the web, through survey, or both, and then create graphs that best represent it. They must find information that can be effectively presented in the 6 types of graphs that were discussed in class. This would be guiding the class towards a student-led, or constructivist, approach.</p>
<p>The second thing for this would be that their data analysis must be done digitally, asking students to create presentations in a format they are comfortable with. This could be a Powerpoint, movie, Prezi, Excel spreadsheet or any form that would display their technological prowess along with the necessary information. I would personally try to steer students towards something more dynamic like movie making or Prezi rather than Powerpoint, but ultimately I would leave it up to them. Students would be required to present their information to the class at the end of the unit.</p>
<p>For a much more advanced aspect, students could be asked to create mathematical models of the data and then make predictions based on these. This could be done via sites like Wolfram Alpha or software suites such as MatLab. Using these models they could further their analysis, making recommendations about future decisions. </p>Word Cloudstag:www.classroom20.com,2013-01-13:649749:BlogPost:9023322013-01-13T05:00:00.000ZTim Johnsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/TimJohnson873
<p>This is my Classroom 2.0 Blog for EDTC601. </p>
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<p>Here are my two word clouds: I couldn't get wordle to work, so I used this instead. </p>
<p>Blog: <a href="http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149338" target="_blank">http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149338</a></p>
<p>Wiki: <a href="http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149337" target="_blank">http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149337</a></p>
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<p>This is my Classroom 2.0 Blog for EDTC601. </p>
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<p>Here are my two word clouds: I couldn't get wordle to work, so I used this instead. </p>
<p>Blog: <a href="http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149338" target="_blank">http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149338</a></p>
<p>Wiki: <a href="http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149337" target="_blank">http://worditout.com/word-cloud/149337</a></p>
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