Module 3 Blog Post: Rhymes of History

Rhymes of History is one of the driving forces of emerging technology. According to Dr. Thornburg it is “the affect or impact of a new development that rekindles something from the distant past” (Laureate Education, 2009). Technology is constantly evolving and I agree that new technology is based on the impact of previous technologies. In education, the ability to project images onto a board for the whole class to see has evolved over time. One of the newest technologies that are used today is the document camera. This technology has made classroom instruction more interactive and engaging for the students. It rekindles the idea of hands-on-learning, show and tell learning, and the opaque projector. We still go to movie theaters to watch images projected onto a big screen today. The technology that allows the images to be projected has evolved and improved over the years. The document camera is just one of many new technological tools that are used in the classroom today. Whenever new technology emerges, it takes the place of one or more pieces of technology from the past. The document camera has replaced the overhead projector.

The Document Camera

Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Six Forces That Drive Emerging Technologies    [Video]. In Emerging and future technology [DVD] Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Blog Post 1: Emerging Technology EDUC 7108

A current technology that is emerging in education is game-based learning. “We don’t need more time in the classroom to learn how to think and perform in the face of real-world challenges. We need effective, interactive experiences that motivate and actively engage us in the learning process” (Trybus, 2012). Game-based learning can achieve that goal. Through the use of game-based learning, students will become more engaged in their own learning and be able to apply what they have learned to real-life situations.

Two problems or challenges associated with game-based learning include cost and how to handle competition in the classroom. With virtual games and simulations needing their own mainframes, and special interface equipment, it was too expensive to use in K-12 classrooms. Through the success of game-based simulations in the military and healthcare industries there are now “games that focus on if-then, choice-consequence learning typically run on standard PCs, [that] require no expensive peripherals, and can be downloaded and installed in minutes” (Trybus, 2012). Many educators are concerned with the competition element of games and whether or not their students can handle it. “Using games for learning requires the same priorities we already employ for formal assessment: fairness and relevance of the score to learned material” (Starting Point, 2012). Educators can find ways to reward students that is not based on the highest score and everyone can get a prize, but the highest score can make their choice first. (Starting Point, 2012).

The website I found compared traditional learning to hands-on and game-based learning. http://www.newmedia.org/game-based-learning--what-it-is-why-it-works-and-where-its-going.html 

In figure 1, the comparison shows the benefits of game-based learning over just using traditional learning or hands-on learning. There is a time and a place for all types of learning, but game-based learning can benefit students by giving them real-life experiences and they will be able to apply what they have learned. 

References:

Starting Point. (2012, August 24). Playing fair. Retrieved from Starting Point Teaching Entry Level Geoscience: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/games/competition.html

Trybus, J. (2012). Game-based learning: What it is, why it works, and where it's going. Retrieved from New Media Institute: http://www.newmedia.org/game-based-learning--what-it-is-why-it-works-and-where-its-going.html

EDUC 7105: Module 1 Blog Assignment

Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?

Excellent online teachers have to first be excellent teachers. Anderson, (2008) stated that excellent teachers:

         • Enjoy working with and learning with learners
         • Have excellent knowledge of their subject area
         • Communicate and express enthusiasm for their subject and their job as a teacher
         • Have a “pedagogical” understanding of the educational process
         • Are prepared with an abundance of learning activities to reach every student

Along with the above characteristics, online teachers must “have sufficient technical skill to navigate and contribute effectively within the online learning context, have access to necessary hardware, and have sufficient Internet efficacy…” (Anderson, 2008). All educators, whether in a face-to-face classroom or an online classroom must provide a safe learning environment for their students that fosters communication among and between students and between instructor and student. Online instructors must participate in the discussions and show their students that there is someone listening to them and motivating them to participate. Effective online instructors provide a clear set of instructions, rubrics, and examples in order to help their students be able to complete assignments without frustration. The best teachers are those that can be a facilitator and an expert and encourage their students to become experts through critical thinking and collaboration.

Each of Siemens metaphors discusses the teacher as either a facilitator or an expert. Both the educator as a master artist and network administrator depict the teacher as a guide or facilitator that guides the learning process and allows students to explore and learn on their own. The educator as a concierge depicts the teacher as an expert that shows students all the available resources in their field of study. “The concierge serves to provide a form of “soft” guidance—at times incorporating traditional lectures and, in other instances, permitting learners to explore on their own” (Siemens, 2008, p. 16). The educator as curator is, in my opinion, the role an instructor should take whether in a digital classroom or a face-to-face classroom. Siemens (2008) defined the curator “as experts with advanced knowledge of a domain and guides who foster and encourage learner exploration… A curator balances the freedom of individual learners with the thoughtful interpretation of the subject being explored” (Siemens, 2008, p. 17). Learners need to be able to explore on their own but with guidance from the instructor. There must be a balance between the “guide on the side” and “sage on the stage”. With the educator as a curator, “learners are free to explore, [but along the way] they encounter displays, concepts, and artifacts representative of the discipline” (Siemens, 2008, p. 17).

References:

Anderson, T. (2008). Teaching in an online learning context. In T. Anderson, The theory and  
          practice of online learning (2nd ed., pp. 343-365). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University
          Press.

Siemens, G. (2008, Jan 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and
          designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from
          http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf