The Many Models of Online Education

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cory Plough on July 25, 2008 at 12:14am

I teach in a blended learning model. The students do most of their work from home but come in once a week for 4 hours. They take one face to face class and meet with a group of mentor teachers.

I like how reform minded our school is, but I dont like our high failure rate. Wondering what I can do to lower it. Anyone have any success stories?

Permalink Reply by James O'Reilly on July 25, 2008 at 1:18am

I'm an Intern at the WebcastAcademy.net, which operates under the Creative Commons License.
Please take a look at the curriculum: http://www.webcastacademy.net/book/curriculum
The WebcastAcademy.net is a hands on, online collaborative training center for people interested in learning how to produce and host live, interactive webcasts with worldwide participants. English and Spanish language modules are being produced. Further languages are forecasted.

I like the innovative issues addressed, but as things are moving so fast "muddling through" has been the favored approach up to now. Convergence of the course into Moodle and into 3D virtual worlds is under way.

Permalink Reply by Aniya on July 25, 2008 at 2:17am

Hello there...I have just recently entered into the world of online teaching (I am actually an ESL offline teacher) I work for a fairly new platform called Myngle http://www.myngle.com/ but the support I get is excellent. I have been lucky to have found two very motivated intermediate students who are taking lessons with me. I have the use of a whiteboard and text/image slides and all this takes place with the use of Skype, fundamental for students to have conversation practice and in my case with a mother tongue English teacher. I am really fascinated by the whole aspect of online teaching and above all really enjoying it. The only down point is I've been looking out for short courses or insight into teaching English online and there seems to be very little, anyone have any ideas or the direction to go? Thanks Aniya

Permalink Reply by Stony River on August 18, 2008 at 9:38am

Hello Aniya -

here in AU we have AMES - Adult Multicultural Education Services found at http://www.ames.net.au/ and http://englishatames.com.au/ - I am positive that they will respond helpfully to any requests you may have. AMES services about 40,000 students per year being mostly Migrants to Australia. AMES have an excellent reputation with high standards leading to a high success rate. Please contact them.

I would very much like to hear more about your experiences with www.myngle.com and wonder if they would accept online teachers from AU? Teachers, facilitators or tutors going online forgetting to question, or even worse assuming the learning styles, (do you know yours? http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/default.asp?ref=ga&... ), or the current standards of literacy, numeracy and computer skills of their learners, can only expect to lead to time wasting frustrations on both sides. Almost constant evaluations and assessments of far smaller chunks of content than usual seem to show definite ongoing progress in my experience. This methodology saves having to often start again from the beginning, or leaving some students behind in a planning to fail scenario. In AU this progressive chunked down method is called the system of scaffolding where a new higher scaffold is explained and anticipated, then the learners are taken up to it until they become comfortable on it and the previous scaffold is taken away.

I want to teach ESL in AU to Aborigines, (I have been teaching other subjects to Aborigines for some years), for whom English is often a 5th or more language, and I think that by the use of technology it will be more successful than by the traditional methods, which have shown only a 15% success rate. I think that education can be more fun and more diverse online. Aborigines are highly talented musically and artistically. In their own language translated, a computer is called a 'Lightning Brain'. A classroom is not their favourite environment (it was not mine either when I was at school). It may seem difficult not to use over-bearing or bully tactics when teaching these people, but if there is no enjoyment, any insults to them or their cultures, lack of protocols or respect or caring, they simply will not appear in any further classes. They are highly sensitive students. The extra element of Respect for Culture cannot be over-looked in any cross-cultural exchange. It is the people who give life to their culture.

Wishing Well
Stony

Permalink Reply by Cory Plough on August 18, 2008 at 12:02pm

Check out Larry Ferlazzo's work. He has tons of tools for teaching kids English.
Here is just one site of his.
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/larry-ferlazzos-english-website/

Permalink Reply by Stony River on July 25, 2008 at 8:09am

I think therefore I am - I think

Reference: Rene Descartes (1596-1650) - added to by the Moody Blues in The Beginning of their album - On the Threshold of a Dream (1969)

e-learning is not new - we have been trying to get it right for at least 20 years. Suddenly the need has become real, just like saving the planet and so many other hard pressing social issues of these days. I think this time it will become a reality - technology, stimulation, creativity and innovation are readily and instantly close by. The attitudes have changed too, from the few geeks in caves to a revolution of the multitudes flashing across cyberspace - not unlike an e-Renaissance in this Brave New e-World of online collaboration. The Pyramids are crumbling. The networks are rapidly expanding. Information flows are bigger than ever - forget about printing - it's too slow!

The tables have turned - we are now all learners!

Is this why Education is so critical today?
Hello - Is this the new e-Plato-Academy?
One thing I know and that is I know nothing - Poor Socrates, he didn't have the Internet!
Has anyone be gauging the explosive growth of Web 2.0 e-learning tools?
Are there a million yet?
Can they make learning Fun and/or Entertaining as well as transferring Knowledge?

A goal here is to deliver English and Numeracy (TESOL) and other qualifications to Aborigines scattered all over the Northern Territory of Australia. Aborigines already speak many languages, so learning another one cannot be difficult? Technology is being developed, for example a mobile satellite dish has been tested - http://web.mac.com/banbins/banbins/e-gypsi.html - and a NT Virtual School is in the planning stages. Of course teaching Aborigines English has all been tried before, using traditional teaching methods - for an 85% failure rate. The rising cost of fuel and poor conditions of dirt roads now prohibit continuing these unsuccessful methods. School of the Air, which no longer uses radios is showing success - http://www.assoa.nt.edu.au/ - and so the progressive educators in Australia for remote learners, are learning about e-learning. Blended learning in many cases is not possible.

For those in full-time employment, caring for the very young or elderly, the less able and others who simply prefer Not to be in a classroom, the choice must be e-learning - my stats show this is about half the student population. At the same time on-going collaboration among e-learners, e-teachers, e-mentors and e-tutors is vital. Learning alone lacks motivation in many cases (or has many distractions) so a learning group will quickly fall apart is my prediction, without the duties of input into networking and e-teamwork. Just in case you were wondering why I joined this group. Sharing is to my thinking a duty of caring.

It is my viewpoint that it is vital to begin at the beginning. Do learners know their learning styles? http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/ Do they know their needs? Do they have expectations? What are their objectives? What are their perceptions and perspectives? What is going to satisfy them? I expect successful e-learning will be consistently interactive and be developing trusting relationships. I think it is mostly about people; and commitment to aligning with organizational and client goals.

Wonderful to be here! It's great to be alive! Let's heighten accessible global knowledge!
Wishing Well
Stony River

Permalink Reply by Beth Still on July 25, 2008 at 9:50am

After 20+ years and you still have this much enthusiasm? I LOVE it!!! I agree that the key to successful online learning involves consistent interaction and trusting relationships. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators must be able to trust each other and communicate about their needs and concerns.

I think another factor that is important is making our lessons engaging and interactive. I have seen many examples of online classes where all the teacher did was move traditional lessons over into an electronic format. There was no interaction or collaboration! I hope that this group can model and promote "promising practices" and connect veteran teachers with those new to the world of online education.

I am so glad you joined this group. I am looking forward to seeing things from your perspective.

Permalink Reply by Stony River on July 27, 2008 at 12:34am

Greetings Beth - I thank you for your kind words and now wish to elaborate a little. I notice also that this e-Family is growing!

There are indeed many factors and elements involved in Eduction or Knowledge Transfer - as some (like me) think Education is a political term, or paradigm for brain-washing. Allow to me continue with my long acronym - Eco-So-Eco - standing for Ecology-Sociology-Economy in that order. Economy can only be the result of ensuring the satisfaction for the needs of an Ecology and Society first. Society being central to this paradigm. Of course current exploitation practices would disagree, but we are now getting to know more.

The needs for any Ecology are to be satisfied or extinction becomes the result. All Life is Sensitive. We are observing these effects now as food prices rise but also as global forests shrink, deserts expand, water tables fall, rivers dry, soils erode and polar ice caps are melting. Extensive exploitation leads to excessive pollution may be a new maxim. There must be a more efficient method of harvesting and distributing what this planet produces - or else the Thomas Malthus Population Theory may well be proved true - or what Jesus said - Forgive them because they still don't know what they are doing!

The needs of any/every Society are becoming critical. Is there any Public Service that actually serves only its Public? Is Democracy going Democrazy? With child abuse reaching alarming proportions here in AU it's about 40% of all girls and 30% of all boys. Why are their no Children's Rights - or Rights for Women? Drug and alcohol abuse has been screaming HELP for ages and still none has been forthcoming. Juvenile suicide is another increasingly very sad outcome of society. I do not think these or other social symptoms and illnesses are due to Education - but I strongly think Education when integrated with other sectors such as Institutions for Drug, Alcohol, Suicide and Child Abuse Prevention can work collaboratively and share the work load for more efficient outcomes for all societies. But then many may think I am weird because I would like to see Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture - easy to google) included in the Curriculum and in school yards. I tend to agree with Ken Robinson -
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_c... - Poor Education is the result of a Poor or narrow Curriculum. Why breed only specialists when we need more generalists? The needs of Economy are not the only factors for a well rounded Education. There is no heart in money, money or money! As Abraham Maslow put it so quaintly many years ago - All compliments and needs Interdependence - (notice this word is not independence! Old Darwin was wrong - a society survives by co-operation, not competition).

Finally the Economy is all we ever hear about - the rich get richer - the poor have more babies! It is obvious that Adam Smith - in the end we are all dead! - needs re-thinking - or we all will be, sooner than we think! From what I heard this Sun and this Planet have been around for about 4.5 billion years and there seems to be no reason why they won't continue for the same time again, the Sun being in its middle age. But will Humans be here to enjoy it all? If we keep ripping off this planet like there is no tomorrow - then the horrific consequences and adjustments of Nature balancing itself such as tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes must be anticipated. Nature got rid of the dinosaurs quite quickly. Was it because they were aggressively over exploiting this planet? Were they obese?

In closing I see a difference in Education and Knowledge - Knowledge is not so apt to change as quickly as Education (after elections). My question is if the goal of Education is to achieve a Knowledgeable Society - do you think it can with e-learning, because I don't think it ever got as close as it should by using traditional methods? Exploration of the term Common Sense coined by Thomas Reid (1710-1796) who changed it from the Vulgar Sense may shed more light here. The vulgar sense being an uneducated one. Did the traditional society expect too much from its Society and Education - indeed did it contribute anything, if not enough?

Learning has now evolved again with the advent of technology and the Web. There are still multitudes globally yet to enjoy access and the privilege - but the word Internet is out - the greatest change to this millennium. We have moved from Pedagogy - sit still and listen to me - Andragogy - what are your experiences - to Heutagogy - What Do You Think? ( http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/Articles/dec00/hase2.htm - or search heutagogy in www.ask.com for more).
To further explain the concept of encyclopaedia - the knowledge reached in a cycle or generation taught or transferred to the next generation or the children. It has been a social duty of the older people in any society for ages. Web 2.0 is a huge opportunity to make it correct.

As a footnote:
I strongly agree with Riane's book The Real Wealth of Nations and her method of Teaching for Peace - http://partnershipway.org/

Power to the People -
http://www.academyofenterprise.org/page_viewer.asp?section=Peoplism...

Wishing Well
Stony

Permalink Reply by Beth Still on July 25, 2008 at 2:00pm

I teach at an alternative high school in western Nebraska. We have known for a long time that we would be offering online courses in the fall of 2008. I started incorporating aspects of Moodle into my traditional f2f classes last year. I started with simply storing my files there for my use, but by the end of the year it was a truly hybrid model. In the fall I will continue the hybrid model with my f2f students as well as teach two classes will are completely online. To help establish the relationship with my online students I will use Skype and Elluminate. My students will also have access to a Ning that was set up specifically for them. I hope they enjoy networking as much as I have.

Permalink Reply by Ann E Darling on August 2, 2008 at 9:48pm

Hi Beth,
Thank you for the invitation to participate. I am really glad to have your experiences to go by since I think that we are a good 3 years behind you! We have a huge opportunitiy coming up with the building of a new High School it seems like we have put alot of projects on hold just to get over this hurdle. I think the first plans for a school came out almost 5 years ago and they included a distance learning room for site to site link up. Well ... those plans are now toast! I have high hopes for moodle though. I have just finished a huge course for multimedia that encompases photography, photoshop, web page development and movies. Making my resources available on moodle was a bid to keep my sanity! Anyway I am done and will be delivering the first class as you did with a f2f hybrid model. Wish me luck (we're backpacking in the Snowy Range next week) school starts for us the 18th

Permalink Reply by Beth Still on August 7, 2008 at 7:40pm

Ann,
I took a look at your classes and they look great! I am very anxious to hear how your students respond to the hybrid model. Are there any other teachers at your school who are planning on using Moodle?

Keep in touch this year!

Permalink Reply by Ann E Darling on August 9, 2008 at 7:41am

Oh NOOOO!
I have one colleague that took the e.s.u. training with me but the district is not encouraging. Its up to me to demonstrate the worth of having this material available to students online. It is kind of a no brainer with both UNK and UNL requiring students to use blackboard extensively in their courses. At Last!! I am now tutoring my 18 year old on the joys of blackboard before she leaves for her freshman year next week. I have gone up in status from "complete idiot " to "might know something useful" how sweet!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page