photo © 2006 Richard | more info (via: Wylio)Ask just about anyone what they believe to be the most impactful technological advancement of the last fifty years, and I’m willing to bet they’ll answer, “the Internet.” While technically the Internet dates back to 1969 when it was created by a branch of the Department of Defense, it has since partnered up with the Web to become what we know it to be today. (Shelly) It is difficult to think of ways the Internet does not or could not participate in any given aspect of our lives. With the creation of tools such as blogging that make up what is known as Web 2.0, the Internet and World Wide Web are having an impact never before seen in the education world. LANs and wireless LANs as well as broadband access are allowing schools to take full advantage of all the Internet and Web have to offer.
Watch Dr. Wendy Drexler’s video, “The Networked Student” to see what I mean. This relatively new idea called connectivism is already playing a major role for college students taking online courses (like myself), and could very well find its way into physical high school classrooms across America. While there is some merit to this theory and practice, I find three major issues that would possibly prevent it from becoming a mainstream technique in our schools. The first two relate to me and my own personal preferences for learning and teaching.
My knee-jerk reaction to Dr. Drexler’s model was probably one that many people might have. “What’s that? No textbooks? No lectures? Whoa, hold on just a minute…” I don’t know about you folks, but I actually enjoy the art of a good lecture. Not the kind given at 8am by a minimally invested teacher or professor.
I’m thinking back to my favorite English teacher in 11th grade. That woman made me fall in love with The Great Gatsby. Teaching kids to teach themselves and each other is great – don’t get me wrong. Certainly knowing how to get free lectures from professors around the world delivered to your iPod is nifty, but I place a lot of value on a face-to-face lecture given by a teacher I and my class have a relationship with and who is building upon our previous studies to tie all of our learning together as only a skilled teacher could. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like that could be lost if we moved in a direction to model the majority of classrooms around connectivism.
Another issue I see, and one that I absolutely would have a personal problem with is self-motivation. It takes a lot of that stuff to do what Dr. Drexler’s video describes. Instead of being given explicit directions and materials to read, it seems as though our friend 21st century student has to decide for himself what his learning materials are based on what he learns about quality sources. This could work brilliantly for some learners. If any of you know students or alumni of New College of Florida, you know they would revel in the opportunity to find their own materials online, to listen to podcasts and blog about their learning. There are also, however, people like me who although are quite motivated do need at least some explicit direction and required reading. I often fall into the trap of only doing what is required and taking whatever shortcuts I can to save myself the time and effort, particularly if the course is of little interest to me. This usually happens, I find, when I am taking an online course, because I miss out on that interaction with the professor I alluded to before. Let’s not forget, too, that I am a graduate student. Consider the average high school student’s self-motivation.
Finally an area I have little experience in, the buzz words Internet safety. We’ve all heard the terms online predator and cyber-bullying. Being on the cusp of the digital generation, I experienced and participated in cyber-bullying before it even had a name. Although the majority of children manage to navigate the Web mostly unscathed, it is still of the utmost importance for teachers, administrators, and school districts to take every precaution to ensure the safety of their students. With all the media attention given over the past decade, particularly to cyber-bullying, parents would undoubtedly have some reservations about having their students participate in a predominantly Web-based course. Fortunately, there are many ways to take caution against these issues. In this Education World article, author Lorrie Jackson explains how different types of software and websites allow for various ways to protect students’ privacy as well as physical and emotional well-being. Certainly if blogging and other forms of online communication, students must be taught about netiquette and online safety. There are absolutely ways to keep students safe, but some parents still might not want their children to participate even with all the reassurance in the world.
None of these points I have brought up are absolutes against connectivism. There are ways to work around all of them, but they are important things that I feel must be considered before using this model in schools below the college level. No doubt that in our ever-changing digital world students can benefit greatly from Dr. Drexler’s model. We as teachers must be knowledgeable and open to change if it is what our students need. But, of course, change is always a slippery slope; no matter how promising we must proceed with caution.
Shelly, G. B., Gunter, G. A., & Gunter, R. E. (2010). Teachers discovering computers:Integrating technology and digital media in the classroom (6th ed). Australia: Course Technology Cengage Learning.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you really took this week's reading and videos to heart to create such an in-depth reflection. However, I feel I need to talk a little bit about a point you made. You mentioned one problem you had with Dr. Drexler's video was "...self-motivation. It takes a lot of that stuff to do what Dr. Drexler’s video describes. Instead of being given explicit directions and materials to read, it seems as though our friend 21st century student has to decide for himself what his learning materials are based on what he learns about quality sources." However, the video did in fact go on to explain that one of the teacher's main purpose is to be the "Learning Architect", someone who is there to instruct, guide, support and aid the student in their learning process. While I agree that the video didn't give a whole lot of details about what is involved in this, I believe it is fair to say that the teacher is at least directly involved in just about every step the student takes. In fact, for the student to know how to create his own Personal Learning Network in the manner described in the video, he would need explicit and direct interaction with his teacher. I understand that self-motivation is a difficult skill to master for many students (I am always in need of a motivational jump-start), but this concept of connectivism still involves the teacher in a very real way.
Another point I wanted to address is your apprehension to the idea that connectivism could replace the normal teaching model. I do not feel there is any real threat to this happening. The model described in the video is a fantastic idea, and can work for many people, but it is truly an idea that will have to wait. The transition is beginning, especially with institutions like Florida Virtual School, and students are more technologically savvy than they have been for decades, but the traditional model of face-to-face teaching is a beast that will not go down from just a few arrows. What I took from this video is that we must be aware of these ideas of connectivism and understand them so that we may either help the transition along for the benefit of all, or at least prompt new ideas to help blend techniques together.
I enjoyed your post and I hope I've gotten my points across. I look forward to reading your ideas on the readings to come.
"I often fall into the trap of only doing what is required and taking whatever shortcuts I can to save myself the time and effort, particularly if the course is of little interest to me."
ReplyDeleteGood, bad, or indifferent, I think it safe to say that *most* students in formal educational settings fall victim to what you've described here. Whether that is because our schools have conditioned our students to this plight or whether it is just inherent to the human condition is a chicken v. egg debate for another time, but it does speak to the need of a planned "curriculum" (literally a path or course to follow) for learners.
I thoroughly enjoyed your comments and your image of proceeding with caution is so important as things are changing at break-neck speeds in education technology. I think we are definitely headed toward online classes in high school, and middle school as well. Taking an online course can be a challenge for many people. When I see students who just try to get by in their classes with minimal efforts, I wonder how they would ever take an online class. I think we would have to require middle and high school students to take a class in "How to Take an Online Course" before we let them register for one.
ReplyDeleteI, too enjoy a good lecture on subjects that interest me. I believe that can still be accomplished through podcasts. I have found several interesting lectures on ITunes U. Certainly, the lectures for middle and high school students would have to be shortened compared to a college lecture.
Another point you make is Internet safety. That is a huge issue, but I think that by the time most students reach middle and high school, they already have spent a huge amount of time on the Internet, and safety needs to start in the elementary grades. I'm not so sure the parents would object for safety reasons. However, I do believe that we would also have to educate parents in online courses. I would guess that most do not have an accurate picture on what an online course really is and how it works in its entirety.
Thanks for such a great post. You have really given me so much to think about!
"I think we are definitely headed toward online classes in high school, and middle school as well"
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, hhousman. Just in case you didn't know (although I'm sure you probably do) there are already online courses for middle and high schoolers. Florida Virtual School has been around for years, and students can take one or even all their classes online through FLVS. I don't know what sort of preparation is done for students before beginning to use this.
You brought up a couple great points in your blog!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you whole-heartedly regarding motivation. When I watched this, my first reaction was that there is absolutely no way my current high school students would do that. AT ALL. I know that there are plenty of people out there who would have the motivation to go ahead and search for their own materials, but at the same time there are people who would completely blow off the course and fail it, or who would do enough work required to allow them to graduate. However, we also have students like myself who would be considered “nerds” by my current students and love to learn for the sake of learning. But even then, we’re not all interested in the same subjects. For instance, I have no desire to learn about chemistry. It would take a bribe to get me to willingly go and research a topic such as the periodic table.
A point that you made that I had not considered was the issue of cyber-safety. Several schools have been cutting back on technology classes, so the responsibility of teaching this information falls back onto their other teachers. For instance, at the high school I work at, students do not even have the option to take such a class. This would have to be something drilled into our students from day one, and even then, we as teachers would be unable to control the other students and people they communicate with. There is no guarantee that we would be able to protect students from such attacks, and my fear is that somehow, we as the teachers would be blamed.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI see where you are coming from with self motivation. It is hard to become motivated to go and find sources on your own materials online as described by Drexler’s video. I have taken several online classes while getting my bachelors in history. Although I love history, I can definitely see how hard it would be to go out and find my own sources of information without any kind of guidance from my instructors. Online courses in general are usually something you either love or can’t stand. I personally love them because it’s convenient and self paced. I can see your point on losing the face to face value; most of the online classes I have taken make you have discussions or chat rooms so that there is interaction between students.
I definitely see your point on having text books and tools to help you be successful with the class. I feel that moving forward, there needs to be a balance between using text books and classroom lessons, and being able to find and research information online. There needs to be a way to connect the two and as educators it’s our responsibility to provide a maximum learning experience for the students.
As far as cyber bullying is concerned, I feel that there should be a lesson plan put together by the school and the teachers so that they can address this issue straight forward. Give the students examples of what it considered cyber bullying, how to avoid it, and who they should report it to if it does happen. I have never had it happen to me but I have seen stories on the news about it. As long as everyone is responsible while using the internet this can be avoided.
Darleen