Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Week 2 Reflection

What did you learn this week that struck you as particularly important or interesting? Online courses create a few challenges. The first is that schools must thoroughly review them to make sure that they adhere to state standards. Selecting a new course if more difficult that simply selecting a new textbook. In fact, schools may ditch textbooks in favor of online courses. This will be a good step towards raising teaching standards, but textbook publishers will likely plan to protect their franchise. Some teachers may not be equipped to do this and so schools will need more curricular resources. Schools may elect to create their own online courses, which will require new resources. These new courses will need to be experienced in creating multimedia content, simulations, and games. The online courses will likely be developed without the teacher who will be teaching the course. I wonder about the following:
  • How will this affect teachers and teaching?
  • Will online courses be created by commercial firms or open-source consortia?
  • What online skills should we be teaching students to prepare them for the next-generation of online courses?
  • How will online teachers be evaluated?
Has your thinking changed as a result of what you learned this week? I continue to be very enthusiastic about the potential for online schools. The increased transparency of course-related information will provide a better experience for students and the potential for teachers to improve their teaching practices. I have two pet projects that I am working on to test online courses. The first is to create an online supplement to my math class so I can ensure that students are proficient in basic math skills. I would also like to have offer several different computer electives or business electives simultaneously. I would be the f2f resource and students would choose from three alternative courses.
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2 comments:

  1. Susan LowesFebruary 3, 2010 at 11:27 AM

    It sounds like you are talking about something that is growing rapidly and is called (variously) hybrid or blended learning. A lot of people think this is what schools in the future will all be doing, rather than offer fully online courses. It has very different challenges--and possibilities.

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  2. johnfaigFebruary 3, 2010 at 12:09 PM

    I believe in the hybrid model because it is lower risk than completely f2f or online. The hybrid model also forces teachers to evaluate their role and their strengths and weaknesses. For example, I do not believe that I am the most knowledgeable and best teacher of basic mathematics. In fact, I believe that teachers should use software to teach basic, low level skills. They should focus on higher-level inquiry and critical thinking skills.

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