This Flipping Thing!

Its been a long time since my last post and I realise that while there is always so much I can talk about in a blog, there are times when I really don't feel like talking. I guess that's a downside of doing a blog. You always have to have something to say and have the inclination to say it. A great place for extroverted introverts! Anyway enough about me. This post is about  the flipped classroom and how to encourage student engagement in your flipped  classroom. I know some of you may in fact be flipping your classroom without realising that you were doing it since the strategy of active learning during class sessions and having students prepare beforehand is not new and is in fact good teaching practice. The question is usually how do you get your students to prepare beforehand. The article The Flipped Classroom: Tips for Integrating Moments of Reflection By Barbi Honeycutt, PhD and Sarah Egan Warren gives an interesting perspective on flipped classrooms and student engagement. Also note that The Flipped Learning Network is a professional learning community focused particularly on the use of screencasting in education.Please read and share your views. 

Should we kill the lecture?

Is this the future for the Lecture Room?

I was preparing a session on blogs and thought I would ask the question "can technology make us better teachers?". This simple question set off a cascade of thoughts in my head about good teaching, teaching strategies and the place of the "good old lecture" that remains ever popular at some institutions regardless of the outcomes of the course, the context or the content. Coincidentally, as I began searching for materials for my workshop on blogs I came across the following article which addressed the issue of the role of the lecture. I truly believe that the lecture has a place but must be carefully, strategically placed to be of value. Should we kill the lecture? I would say a resounding no but it shouldn't be our one and only tool in our tool kit of teaching strategies. What do you think?
http://www.dyknow.com/company-news/is-technology-really-killing-the-lecture/

Can We Bridge the Gap?

http://bit.ly/T3s0ve

The problem is my age. It relentlessly advances while the faces staring back at me in the classroom remain the same, fixed between late adolescence and early adulthood. In short, I grow old while my students do not. (Flaherty, 2013)



I want to continue in the same vein as my previous post where I talked about keeping the focus on the student. I came across this interesting article that looks at the whole issue of using technology from the perspective of a 'middle-aged' lecturer. The lecturer has tried to cater to the digital natives' short attention span but she still questions whether given her subject area, learning is taking place. The article raises some questions that all of us have and ends on this interesting note:
"The students' digitally enhanced perspectives have certainly made me venture into new territory, trying to harness—and emulate—their quick thinking, parallel-processing energy. But similarly, my predigital perspective can also open up new territory for them, showing them the surprising amount of ground they can cover by moving slowly and reflecting deeply."(F Flaherty, 2013).

Please take some time and read the article :
Millennial Students and Middle-aged Faculty: A Learner-centered Approach toward Bridging the Gap   http://bit.ly/15VJ282

And let's not forget the students!

source:

http://bit.ly/140cDin

We need to keep our students engaged! Do we ask them about ways in which we can use technology or do we make assumptions?

 
I have been reading all your views on the use of technology in teaching with great interest! Very valid comments, recognizing the need to be outcomes focused. One thing occurred to me though, have we really been thinking about or even asking our students how they feel? Do we make assumptions about technology or do we try to stay within our comfort zones and in so doing ignore our students? I found this interesting article written by a student giving her views on the use of technology in teaching. Take a read and see whether you agree or not . You may even want to ask your students to write a minute paper on the topic to see how they feel. Read the article which is called Engage me ! A student’s perspective on technology in the classroom.

http://bit.ly/OXRAVh

How Do I Choose the Right Tool?

Wrong Tool for the Job. Source: http://bit.ly/WZ38Zh

 As some of the class members noted in the online discussions, if we are not careful we can certainly choose the wrong tool for the job. We want technology to enhance teaching AND learning. We should not be using technology because it is available or because we want to appear "tech savvy".

There are times when traditional technology may be more effective. Many of you ask, so how do we know? Is there a formula for choosing? The short answer to this is you need to keep in mind your learning outcomes, develop a strategic teaching/learning plan based on these outcomes, and experiment with tools. The link below is to a blog called "Online Learning Insights" which gives some tips on how you can choose the right tool.

http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/how-to-choose-the-best-ed-tech-tools-for-online-instruction/

MOOCs? Really?

Source of graphic: http://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/news/2013/fisher-leads-workshop-on-multidisciplinary-research-for-online-education/moocs-image/

Massive-open-online-courses {or MOOCs} : a hot topic in open and distance learning nowadays. The idea of thousands of persons from all over the world having  free and open access to the same course in an Ivy League institution is mind boggling but it’s a reality.  MOOCs are based on priciples of openness and interaction/connectedness and learner autonomy. Dave Cormier has produced the following useful four minute video

http://youtu.be/eW3gMGqcZQc

Not everyone is blown away by the concept of MOOCs however , as Justin Ferriman provides 5 reasons why MOOCs provide very little real value. Take a read of Justin’s article and post your comments. So what do you think? To MOOC or not to MOOC?

http://www.learndash.com/5-reasons-why-moocs-provide-little-real-value/

How can we use Online Videos for teaching and learning?

I was reading some comments on the use of videos for teaching and learning. In particular someone was commenting on the use of talking heads. Personally, I do not support the use of talking heads because I think we could be a bit more creative when using video. I think also we can look at what someone like Salman Khan is doing with his videos in the Khan Academy. Please take some time and listen to Salman's session at the popular TED Talk series here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM95HHI4gLk&feature=youtu.be

Let me know what you think of the work of the Khan Academy.Please also share your views on use of video for teaching and learning.