The Missing Link: Ed in Higher Ed

For the last year or so, I've been thinking about the plight of higher ed instructors.  They spend years studying in their field.  They are good learners, good researchers and experts in their discipline, meaning they've become so familiar with their content of focus that the knowledge is internalized.  In most disciplines, that knowledge needs to be nurtured because each day that passes brings new meaning and discovery to that body of knowledge.  A body of knowledge is dynamic, being influenced by its environment.  As events happen each day, the body of knowledge is certainly impacted by that.  Political events, scientific discoveries, changing culture, innovation, physical elements, and on and on, all alter how we, as a human race, need to interpret our particular bodies of knowledge.  Experts need diligence in bringing meaning to the dynamic bodies of knowledge to the world.

Now enter higher education.  Higher education promises learners an indulgence in bodies of knowledge from experts.  Higher education promises that learners will gain a foundational knowledge that can then benefit the learner in whatever path the learner seeks to forge.  In order to deliver to learners what higher education promises, higher educational institutions hire intelligent experts, usually called Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), to impart their understanding of the body of knowledge onto learners.  Higher educational institutions and learners both want SMEs to lead learners.  There is no question about that.

Of upmost importance is that experts continue to refine their understanding of their body of knowledge, keeping up with the dynamic nature of that body of knowledge in order to bring meaning to it in the present day, to learners.  They need to spend time engaged actively maintaining their SME status.

THE PROBLEM IS that SMEs are never trained in how exactly to best impart a body of knowledge to learners.  There is a whole field of study of Education.  In the field of Education, learners learn how people learn.  This is a whole separate field of study for a reason.  It is a discipline because the elements of cognitive science, cognitive psychology, learning theories, neuroscience, etc. are deep, complex elements that nurtures its own set of SMEs.

So, why not get the two sets of SMEs together at every single higher educational institution?  Why expect higher eduction instructors to continue refining their own body of knowledge without any training on how to impart that knowledge?  If only a small portion of their body of knowledge is imparted onto learners only because the SMEs aren't versed in the field of Education, then why bother hiring SMEs at all?  SMEs must also feel the frustration with this cycle.  SMEs are generally pretty passionate about their field of study and very interesting in inspiring learners in that field.

So, why not just add the one element that is missing in connecting the SMEs body of knowledge to the learner?  The instructors will benefit, perhaps in finding personal gratification in student engagement.  The student will benefit, perhaps by feeling the personal gratification in immersing themselves in the body of knowledge that already excites them.  And the higher educational institution will benefit, perhaps by maintaining a reputation for excellence in student experience, satisfaction and preparedness for future endeavors.

I think having a place for instructors to go, within their own institutions, where they are guided, supported and educated on the process of education will benefit all parties involved.  I think it is the missing link.

As many people have read in mainstream media as well as scholarly articles, there is talk about the future of higher educational institutions not serving learners unless there is a great amount of change.  The regiment of the traditional higher educational model doesn't serve modern learners as much as it served learners in the past.  Modern learners thrive in a flexible learning environment.  And, the disconnect between instructors and learners does not serve modern learners.  Modern learners thrive in an environment of intimacy between instructor and learner.

THE BOTTOM LINE is that modern learners, whether "traditional" or "non-traditional", long to feel a connection to their teachers and their institution while living regular life.  If higher educational institutions don't respond to that, they may not survive.

An Education department that serves instructors, serves the whole higher educational community.  Bringing the Education back to the the Higher Educational Institution will maintain the higher education's important role in our modern society.  Flexibility and change can accomplished without a complete renovation of the current education model.

I'm very motivated to do that!!

Blowing off the dust...

Hello Blogger!  

You must feel that I've abandoned you.  

Actually, I have.  

It must seem to you like I've left you sitting here gathering internet dust.  Whatever harm you think I've done to you, I've really only done to myself.  You've served as a venue for me to bring all my random thoughts together so that I can make sense out of them, which allows me to explain them better to others.

Here are some current thoughts.  

I think we've come a great distance with education and technology in the past few years.  At least the idea of using technology in responsible ways to achieve the highest levels of learning is now commonplace...in theory.  Even if educators aren't using technology, most educators aren't afraid of it as much as they used to be.  That is a huge step forward.

However, I continue to see in some educators the idea that digital or online education is inferior to classroom contact.  From my experience, I think the student experience of a class has more to do with the individual educator than the content delivery itself.

In the 21st century, what seems to impact students most, is engagement with an educator, or engagement directed by an educator.  Hands down, an engaged educator wins every time.  An engaged educator beats easy to use, stimulating, seamless, fancy technology every single time.  This on the surface seems almost counter-intuitive, especially with adaptive and intelligent technologies.  But, even a MOOC isn't good if there isn't an involved educator promoting thoughtful consideration of the topic to the participants.

I've always felt that the most difficult dimension of educational technology is to change the culture...to change the minds...to move from an old, solid, framework to a more flexible, interpretive design of an educational system.  But, it is difficult for people to even see our educational system as a "framework" because nobody thinks beyond it.  "It just is"..."every child is entitled to it"..."we all deserve to be educated."  Often the thoughts end there.

My big fat revolutionary plan of action is to continue to design high quality, engaging content that draws students to the material and taps into every person's innate desire to gain knowledge and improve...for now.  There is surely more to come.

Hang in there, Blogger.  I'll be back.  :)  

Reflection

I think reflection of one's own effectiveness as an educator is the single most important practice that can have a direct impact on student learning.

Listening to Dr. Derek Cabrera in his TED talk, How Thinking Works, helps to solidify this point.  As educators we can just follow the script, so to speak, and teach our content.  This allows us to "check the boxes" of our list of duties.  We teach all the content, we try to deliver content in ways that can be absorbed my learners of different types, we provide clear instructions for assignments and paths for success in the classroom.  Teachers that do all of the above can be considered pretty good teachers.  Dr. Cabrera did all that.

Dr. Cabrera noticed that his Harvard students could regurgitate content very well.  They understood the process of education and had mastered the skills required to get good grades.  On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, and he could have considered the job he was doing as "well done" and called it a day.  But what bothered him was that his students couldn't apply their knowledge, work through problems relating to the content, or make any connections between the content knowledge and other knowledge.  In other words, his students could memorize material, but they didn't understand what that material meant in the real world.  They had no critical thinkings skills.

As educators, we could just toss this off as a problem with contemporary students.  I have to agree with Dr. Cabrera that this isn't a problem with modern students, it is a problem with modern education.  How do we get students to be thinkers, to understand the content of courses as it is applied in the real world, and become problem solvers?  One answer is that we look at ourselves as educators.

Reflect!  Reflecting on our effectiveness as educators in providing a means for learners to not only grasp content knowledge, but give them practice at solving problems,  helps us to be constantly refining our methods and improving the learning environment.  Whether this is done via a journal, with reflective teaching partners, or even as a daily self-evaluation on the drive home from work, as long as the reflection leads to action and adjustment of the classroom environment in order to enhance learning, then it is valuable.  I am wondering if this single act of reflection is what separates the great teachers from the average ones.  Without reflection as to the educator's effectiveness, I think applying the theories of connected learning, personalization, collaboration, etc. are rendered practically useless, or at the very least superficial.

I'm a firm believer in self-reflection as an educator and will strive to be in a state of reflection, in many ways, about my ability to connect with learners, help them connect with the content in a way that is meaningful and connect with other learners to establish a learning environment that provides learners with the means to become strong problem solvers.

Cooperative Learning

K-12 Teaching in the 21st Century

Module 3 - Collaboration

Cooperation and Collaboration are cousins.  Is there is a difference between Cooperative Learning and Collaborative Learning?  Yes...and Wow!...what an interesting distinctions these two cousins make.  

In the video Cooperative and Collaborative Learning in the Classroom, produced by Education Portal, the distinction between these two cousins is spelled out for the viewer.  Cooperative Learning does involve collaborating with peers, but it remains unique in its own right as a method of collaboration.  

Let's look at one type of Cooperative Learning.  Jigsaw is a type of Cooperative Learning in which the assignment, or the group task, is divided amongst the members of the group by the teacher.  Each individual member of the group is responsible for learning, or completing a task, within the broader group task.  The work of each person only makes complete sense when the work of each person is brought together.  The contributions of each member of the group complete the task at hand and provide a comprehensive work product, just like a jigsaw puzzle.  Each piece is separate from the others, but needs to be in place and connected to the others so that the viewer can see the picture on the puzzle in its entirety.  You can learn more about Jigsaw as their is an official website dedicated to this practice.

I love this concept.  It is similar to the types of learning environments in some graduate school programs that I have tried to emulate in my undergrad classrooms as an instructor at Henry Ford Community College.  Unfortunately, I didn't carry this concept all the way through, which I think would have made all the difference.  The idea here is that the structure of accountability is built into this system.  With Collaborative Learning, often one or some members of the group can end up carrying the workload for the entire group and the entire group's grade is singular.  In Cooperative Learning, specifically, Jigsaw, the group as a whole is dependent on the work of each individual because the entire project, goal or task of the group, cannot be completed without the unique contribution of every member.  Each member of the group has a job to do.  If one member fails to perform his or her job, then the assignment  won't make sense.  But, each individual's work can be measured and assessed in its own right because the job of each individual is distinct and separate from the job of the other members of the group.  Thusly, and unlike Collaborative Learning, the bulk of the work cannot fall on just one or some members of the group.  All of the work is divided evenly among the members.  All are accountable to each other.

I'm definitely going to keep the concept of Jigsaw Cooperative Learning in mind.  It seems like it can have a very positive impact on the learning process.

Padlet as collaborative learning tool

K-12 Teaching in the 21st Century

Create:  Collaboration (module 3)

Pinch me...I'm MOOCing

I've been hearing so much about this Padlet technology over the past couple of weeks, I just had to try it out.  It is an interesting idea.  A person can create a wall and allow others to post text, images and video on the wall, pertaining to a particular topic.  It is similar in nature to Pinterest, except Padlet allows others to post on the wall, fostering collaboration.

I've developed an assignment in which students can come to the wall to deposit an image, and small bits of information, regarding the habitat of Yellowstone National Park.  Each student will post one item and the class will decide which animals and plants will be the focus of the study in the Yellowstone National Park unit.  They can view the contributions of others, contribute their own information and then use that information to accomplish a goal.  I've embedded my Padlet for use in the Yellowstone National Park assignment below, if you'd like to take a look.  If you choose, feel free check out my Padlet full screen.

I can see how this technology can be used for a multitude of purposes in collaboration.  One member of  the MOOC community, Michelle Byers, created a Padlet wall so that other teachers could post their favorite collaboration tools on it.  Collaboration on collaboration...I love this idea!  I think it might also be used as an "Introduction Wall", in which students could take a photo of themselves with their webcam and write a few sentences about themselves as a way of getting to know each other.  This may be particularly nice for an online class.

I'd love to hear other ideas for using this technology.  The possibilities are not only endless, they are great fun!

Created with Padlet

Personalized Learning

K-12 Teaching in the 21st Century

Module 2:  Personalized Learning

(Still loving this MOOC!)

At the time of this writing, I have read and watched much of the Consume section of Module 2 regarding Personalized Learning.  I just can't stop at one resource because I am afraid I will miss out on some really good bits of information.  :)

I have always found Sir Ken Robinson to be not only funny, but truly inspiring.  His TED talk titled "Bring on the learning revolution!" did not disappoint.  He is able to make his presentations so entertaining because he knows the topic well.  His perspective on what works and what doesn't, within our educational system and learning process, seems to be right on point.  And, what is most remarkable is that he doesn't purport to have the perfect solution to all our educational struggles.  He states the trouble spots, discusses why they exist and inspires educators to take action. This leaves the door open for educators to adjust the system in their classroom, school or district in a way that works for their particular classroom, school or district.

From his Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk, I learned that personalized learning isn't just a luxury, or a fancy trick to get students to learn.  I feel that his talk illustrated the bigger picture and how personalized learning impacts society as a whole.  Personalized learning fosters each individual's natural curiosity and desire to learn. He speaks to the idea that the current industrial model of education seems to suppress the natural urges to learn for many students because it doesn't give each individual the opportunity to approach the subject matter from one's unique perspective.

Personalized learning allows each learner to feel safe to engage in learning in a way that is meaningful to that particular learner.  This generates a deeper understanding of the subject matter at hand and develops a sense of value of education for learners as they embark on an investigation of the subject matter driven by their distinct interest. For example, a learner interested in sewing can learn just as much about Native American tribes as a person interested in camping.  The sewer can explore Native American culture, the symbolic meaning of colors, mythology, lifestyle, etc. through the study of Native American textiles just as a camper can through the study of tepee making, campfire rituals, hunting, and the like. Therefore, through personalized learning, we can keep the content we find important for learners and only personalize the pathways that students are allowed to approach the content so that each type of learner feels a connection to the content.  This will reinforce the content material and provide a more enriching educational experience for every student.

K-12 Teaching in the 21st Century

Create:  Module 2 - Personalization

I decided to work with a technology called "Thinglink" that I found in the course Delicious site this week to work on an idea for personalized learning.  I checked out DIY and Meograph and liked both technologies, but decided to go with Thinglink mainly because I like the idea, as an educator, to be able to use a tool to personalize learning that is quick and could be done at the last minute to fit the unique needs of a particular class or class session. I've used Prezi, Weebly and Voki before and wanted to have something on hand that could be used with little prep time in order to supplement a lesson, or fulfill an academic need, that comes up during the time of learning, in order to personalize the learning.

Thinglink is a technology in which you can take an image and layer it with information, such as text, other images, videos and the like.  This way, an educator can let a picture tell a thousands words, so to speak, by pointing out the significant elements relating to the content material of class, within a single image.   

There is a search feature directly within Thinglink to help provide material to use to layer on the main image, however, I found it to be somewhat limited in the material it provides for still images.  You can check out my Thinglink below.

I think this would also be a good technology for students to use.  I envision an assignment in which each student needs to create an Thinglink on a topic.  For instance, if in a Social Studies class studying Native Americans, students could choose amongst topics, such as a headdress, sweat lodge, rain dance, hunting rituals, etc., on which to create a Thinglink consisting of three text blurbs, one short video, an audio piece, or whatever elements a teacher deems important.  Then, the students can share with one another or embed their Thinglinks in a class wiki, in order to use everyone's work as a study tool for a test.

I like this technology and would use it again.  I would love to learn about how other educators are using this technology, so please feel free to share your projects.  Thanks!