Distance Learning Week 1 Entry

DEFINING DISTANCE LEARNING

     Prior to starting my Master's degree at Walden University, I had not actually heard the term "Distance Learning". I equated my degree to be considered the same as getting a degree at a traditional face-to-face university, only I would be taking my classes online. Little did I know, I was actually participating in Distance Learning. Simonson, et al (2012) defines Distance Learning as institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors. 

   We were asked this week to give our own definition of Distance Learning from what we had known prior to the course. I initially defined it as: "Learning that occurs outside of a traditional classroom. " I knew it involved technology of some sort. And, the word "distance" indicated that I would not be present with the instructor where we could meet face-to-face and communicate in the way I was accustomed to (by asking direct questions, and getting immediate answers.) Little did I know how much really was involved with Distance Learning.

     Throughout the week, my definition has developed into something deeper, and more thought provoking. Now, I define Distance Learning as: "A community that encourages interaction between classmates and instructors, fosters discussion, and incorporates technology tools while remaining in separate locations from each other." With my original definition, I did not take into consideration the other members of the class, and their role in the learning experiences.

     One of the greatest benefits of Distance Learning is that the learners not only gain knowledge and experience from their instructor, but from the members of their class as well. Learner-learner interaction can be between one student and another or between several students. In order for effective learning to occur, four types of peer behavior are necessary in a computer mediated environment: (a) participation, (b) response, (c) provision of affective feedback, and (d) short, focused messaging (Thurmond & Wambach, 2004). So far, while participating in all of my classes at Walden, I have observed all four of those peer behaviors on a regular basis.

     With changes in technology and tools that are available, I can see Distance Learning evolving in a positive way. My opinion is that in the next five-ten years, almost everything (including textbooks and schools) will be online, so it is important to embrace technology and all it has to offer. With the flexibility of schedules, and availability of classes anywhere and anytime, I truly believe that more and more people will start following in the direction of online universities.

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and 

            learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.)

            Boston, MA: Pearson.

Thurmond, V. & Wambach, K. (2004). Understanding Interactions in Distance

           Education: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved June 29, 2012 from

           http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_04/article02.html

CLICK FOR LINK TO DISTANCE LEARNING- MIND MAP

Reflection Piece

            I have always been the type of person that embraces a challenge, and strives to consistently improve myself on a daily basis. Thinking about this course, I can say that I feel that I have been challenged, and have grown as a learner. Learning is the acquisition of increasingly complex structures of learned capabilities that build on prior learning (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). I was able to access what I already knew about how people learn, and acquire new knowledge throughout the course of this class. After learning such a wealth of knowledge on how people learn, I feel I can move forward with my goals of changing careers to get involved in the field of Instructional Design and Technology.

            While discovering about how people learn, I found a couple of things that were surprising or striking. Originally, I thought that everyone learned differently, and very specifically. For example, I thought there was really only one or two ways that worked best for each person. I also thought that teachers or instructional designers had to modify their instruction to each learner. However, since I have completed this course, I have realized that we utilize many different strategies when acquiring knowledge. Learners construct their own meanings for themselves and from the contexts in which they live (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). What works in one situation, might not work in another, so learners have to know which strategies to use in those circumstances. I was also surprised to realize that I tend to teach according to how I learn, instead of assessing what will work best for the learners in my class. A good trainer can use activities, instruments, or discussion to discover how students prefer to learn (Elkington, 2011). Knowing that I need to differentiate my teaching styles will help me grow as an educator.

            Originally, I thought my own personal learning style revolved around auditory measures. In high school, and college, I could just listen to the teacher or professor and be able to remember the information. Because of that, I truly had concerns about online learning since it would involve so much reading with nothing to hear. I chose the online learning option to accommodate my schedule, and I do not regret my decision. However, I have had to vary my learning strategies since the courses are so heavily based on reading and discussion with colleagues. My metacognitive skills have expanded as well. Metacognition literally means thinking about thinking (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). When I do not understand something, I have to go back and figure out how to solve it which will broaden my problem solving and learning skills.

            After completing the learning matrix, I could easily see how the learning theories can be connected or even overlap with each other. Technology can be an extremely useful tool to help any learner acquire knowledge. I try to incorporate technology into my teaching every day as I can see how it will benefit each learner in various ways. Another idea that I noticed was how the theories can almost build upon each other. For example, as an elementary education teacher, I tend to use more of the strategies from the Behaviorist theory, but as the students get older, they tend to need more Cognitive and Constructivist skills. Then, as adults, they will venture into the Social and Adult Learning realm, as well as being able to use the ideas from the Connectivist theory. With any of these theories, motivation is vital. Motivation is something that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior; it gets students moving, points them in a particular direction, and keeps them going (Ormrod, 2008). If a learner is not motivated, you will not get to see what they are truly capable of.

            Moving forward from this course, I plan to incorporate what I have learned into my current career, as well as into my future career goals. My goal is to get out of teaching and into the field of technology in some way. I would like to stay in education, but not stay in the classroom. Now that I have the learning theories and more technological tools under my belt, I can easily see ways to use that to further my career. If I end up in the field of Instructional Design, all of the theories and concepts revolving around technology and motivation will play a key role. I would have to think about the goal of the lesson, or course and utilize as many strategies as I can to keep the learners interested and attentive.

            When I first started this course, I felt very overwhelmed and worried that I would not be successful in completing it. However, now that it is over, I feel challenged in a good way. I am walking away with much more knowledge that I came in with. This will help me in future courses as I can recall this prior knowledge and use it to complete my Master’s degree, and better myself. Being a lifelong learner, these courses will do nothing but benefit me in my pursuits. I would like to end with a saying from Confucius. “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous” (BrainyQuote.com, 2011).

References

BrainyQuote.com. (2011). Learning Quotes. Retrieved October 30, 2011 from

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/learning.html

Elkington, Don. (2011). How do People Learn? Retrieved October 30, 2011 from

            http://www.gdrc.org/kmgmt/learning/how-people-learn.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Information Processing and Problem Solving

            [DVD]. In Series Title. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Ormrod, J.E. (2008). How Motivation Affects Learning and Behavior. Retrieved October 30,

            2011 from http://www.education.com/reference/article/motivation-affects-learning-behavior/

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning Theories and Instruction (Laureate

            custom edition). New York: Pearson.

Week 7 Post


After assessing my progress in this course thus far, I have seen quite a bit of change and growth. During the course of our class, we studied six different learning theories which have greatly broadened my understanding of how others learn, as well as myself. For the first week's discussion, I stated that I learn best auditorily. However, after reading about Adult Learners, I feel that I relate more closely to that idea. I feel that I have demonstrated the principles of Adult Learning especially well in this class. Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that may include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base. To help them do so, they should draw out participants' experience and knowledge which is relevant to the topic. They must relate theories and concepts to the participants and recognize the value of experience in learning (Lieb, 1991).


I tend to use a combination of several of the learning theories in my learning. I utilize some of the behaviorist ideas when teaching my elementary school class. I especially use the concepts of positive reinforcement and feedback. The instructional designer/instructor will provide the stimulus for learning to occur. The instructor provides the rewards, goals, information, structure, reinforcement, and feedback. The instructional designer/instructor must determine which cues can/will elicit the desired response (http://eev.liu.edu/). While working in my coursework, and in my personal life, I use a combination of Connectivism and Cognitivism. I stay connected to others through Facebook, and the Walden Portal. Cognitively, I have to rely on background knowledge and previously learned material. For the cognitivist, learning is equated with discrete changes between states of knowledge. Learning is concerned with what learners know and how they come to acquire it (not what they do behaviorally) (http://eev.liu.edu/). Knowing that there are many different avenues I can take to learn and teach will benefit me in the future. 


My understanding of technology has also deepened tremendously. Just figuring out the right tools and programs I needed to create the Learning Matrix was a big eye-opener for me. However, now that I have it completed, I can see how the matrix helped me to compare the learning styles so well. Prior to this course, I relied only on the textbooks and course readings to get my citations. Now, I feel completely comfortable searching the internet to acquire my information. I know that as I continue along in my Master's work, I will be prepared to venture into a different career, which was my original goal. 

References

Eev.liu.edu., Learning Theories: An Overview. Retrieved October, 2011 from http://eev.liu.edu/know_base/index.htm

Lieb, S. (1991). Principles of Adult Learning. Retrieved October, 2011 from http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

Connectivism


I had always traditionally learned by using textbooks, and taking notes. With the advancement of technology, I find myself utilizing my computer to expand my learning more. The computer, and more specifically, the internet have opened so many doors to the world of learning. If I do not understand something or want to research it further, all I have to do is type one or two words into the Google search bar and I am taken in many different directions. Information abundance requires that we offload our cognitive capacity onto a network of people and technology. Secondly, the recognition that technologically, our networks are incredibly rich right now, whether it's a mobile phone, whether it's a computer, whether it's access to a database, but we're seeing a significant explosion in how we start to connect with other people, but also how we connect with data sources (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I would say that between work and home, I spend the majority of my day using my computer in one way or another. While at work, I use it to keep up with emails from coworkers. I also use the computer and projector in my classroom to pull up videos or power points online to show to my students. It absolutely amazes me how many resources there are available on the internet to use when educating my students.


When at home, my computer usually sits by me to use when necessary. Whether connecting with others on Facebook, or keeping up with incoming emails, I like to have the access available. There is no doubt that I am a Facebook "junkie". I guess I thrive on making and keeping those connections with others wanting to know what is going on in their lives. Social networks, driven by technological networks, have similarly transformed communication, news, and personal interactions (Connectivism.ca, 2010). Facebook has allowed me to get back in touch with friends I had not seen since college or even elementary school. I believe that everything we do and say can be a learning experience. Often times, on Facebook, people post things that can show me a new way to do something. The groups that I have joined or liked post links to new ideas that can expand my way of thinking. Our knowledge literally is distributed across other networks of human beings, technological devices, and other ends (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).  While at home, I also tend to have the Walden Portal up which I periodically refresh to read incoming discussion posts, or blog entries that are updated through Google Reader. 


My personal learning network supports Connectivism because according to Stephen Downes (2011),  Connectivism is the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks. Between Facebook, the internet, my work and Walden, I am staying connected with the world of technology and all who interact within that world. 


References


Connectivism.ca (2010). Teaching in Social and Technological Networks. Retrieved from http://www.connectivism.ca/?p=220


Downes, S. (2011). What is Connectivism? Retrieved from http://cck11.mooc.ca/week1.htm


Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Connectivism. George Siemens (Video): [George Siemens].

Here is my Connectivism mind map. Later in the week, I will create a blog post about how my connections facilitate my learning. If you are unable to see the image, the link to my webspiration page is underneath the mind map.




http://www.webspirationpro.com/view/1001874a1accb

Blog Assignment Week 2

This week's topics included the brain and how it learns, information processing theory, and problem solving methods used during the learning process. After searching for websites and journals that were applicable to these topics, I found several, but wanted to reference two particular sites. 

The first one is  http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/infoproc.html . This site focused on breaking down how the brain processes information, and how memory plays a part in that process. It also has a great section on how to use the information processing approach in the classroom. This is very beneficial for me being a teacher that is always looking for new and inventive ways to educate my students. Also included on this page were four basic principles that most cognitive psychologists agree with. Of those principles, the one that caught my attention was the fourth principle which stated, that the human organism has been genetically prepared to process and organize information in specific ways (Huitt, 2003).  An example given was how all human infants develop language in similar ways regardless of what language they speak. It is only after that when words start to be developed that the learning process changes. Additionally, this website addressed how sensory, short-term and long-term memory works. I especially enjoyed the part on sensory memory which stated that first, individuals are more likely to pay attention to a stimulus if it has an interesting feature, and second, individuals are more likely to pay attention if the stimulus activates a known pattern (Huitt, 2003). This relates back to our readings from this week that referred to meaningful information. Meaningful information is more likely to be retained because it easily connects to propositional networks (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). The last part that I liked on this site was where the author described some strategies to help with elaboration. These include rhyming, creating images and connecting to a familiar location so that the information can become more relevant to the students. I know I will refer back to this site frequently when planning my instruction. 

The second site I found was 

http://globalcrisis.info/teachproblemsolving.html . This site broke down the concept of problem solving, and also how to teach students the best ways to solve problems. It showed the development of how we used to learn by rote or memory techniques, and now we have realized that those methods do not work anymore. It then delved in to the ways in which we learn best. The way I related to the most was the one that stated that we learn best when we have discovered the answer for ourselves (Global Crisis Solution Center, 2003). 

 It will be more memorable if you had taken the problem apart by yourself and found the solution without any help. It also related to our video from this week's resources where Dr. Ormrod stated that when breaking down a problem, the process includes how people encode the problem, what they decide it's a problem about, which includes what the end point would be, and what the solution would look like (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). The last section that got my attention was the steps to help the students in the problem solving process. Several of those were extremely applicable to my instruction on a daily basis. I especially liked the ones that said to enter the world of the student, and to work towards the strength of each student. According to our textbook, teachers enhance learning when they develop lessons to assist students to link new information with knowledge in memory (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). If the teacher knows what background knowledge the student is coming in with, they can find ways to build on their strengths and also to get inside their head to figure out how they might solve the problem. There were also some assumptions on problem solving and how to work with examples, but I feel that the above mentioned topics were more relevant to our concepts for this week. 

I also found an interesting quiz that supposedly can help you determine if you are more left brained or right brained, as well as an article about the difference between left and right brained thinking for any who are interested. I found it intriguing since it definitely had me on one side (left brained) more than the other, which I always thought anyway.

http://bama.ua.edu/~st497/pdf/rightorleftbrain.pdf

http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi

References

Global Crisis Solution Center. (2003). Teaching and Learning Through Problem Solving. Retrieved from http://globalcrisis.info/teachproblemsolving.html

Huitt, W. (2003). The information processing approach to cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/infoproc.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Learning Theories and Instruction [DVD]. 

Information Processing and Problem Solving. New York. Dr. Jeanne Ormrod.

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.

My first Application piece...




I have spent quite a bit of time searching various blogs looking for the ones that will benefit me in my pursuits, and also keep me interested at the same time. When deciding which three to post on here, I wanted to find blog sites that apply to my own career situation, both present and future.



Since my current job is as an elementary school teacher, the first site I found that grabbed my attention was  http://lilykreitinger.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/five-life-lessons-i-learned-from-my-teachers. This blogger is a trainer, instructional designer, and teacher which I felt that I could relate to in many ways. In this particular post I have attached, she gave several lessons that she learned from her teachers, that I thought were very applicable to my job, as well as my future as an instructional designer. I especially liked how she listed life connections to each lesson, as learning can be enhanced by finding ways to relate things to real life. Other posts in her blog touch on various parts of everyday life, which is a nice way to connect with real people reading it on a daily basis.


The next site that got my attention was http://christytucker.wordpress.com/ . This particular blogger described her blog as being about building learning experiences using Instructional Design and also E-Learning. I especially liked her blog because there were several entries that answer questions about the process of getting into the Instructional Design field, especially if the person was a teacher prior to that. Once specific post had sample interview questions that would be asked of a teacher making the transition to Instructional Designer, and her ideas of how to best answer them.




Since the Instructional Design field is so new to me, I wanted to find a site that gave me the basics of Instructional Design and how to apply it in my studies and career path. This particular post really interested me, especially the video that was shown. The link is  http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-instructional-design/. This post was great because it really delved into the learning process and why Instructional Design is such an important component to that. It confirms that this is the direction I want to take in my future endeavors.