RSA #5: Adventure Learning: Transformative Hybrid Online Education

Online Resource: http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=112&sid=3bb1d264-e177-4bc1-a538-264d61ddfdf5%40sessionmgr115&vid=6

            This week’s readings focus on how we need to make our online environments capable of providing “the support and ability to dialogue and critically reflect on the material presented, as well as on the self” so that we encourage transformative learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p. 185). Transformative learning is an important part of constructivism because it is where students make meaning of the information they have gathered and processed so far. This often happens when students encounter “disorienting dilemmas” where their beliefs or knowledge are challenged (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). Just getting involved in an online class could cause this for many students, so as a facilitator of an online class it is important to understand this, encourage it and provide an outlet for reflection and discussion. One major reflection piece in an online course is evaluation and student assessment both summative and formative. These evaluation tools are important in the reflection and growth process both for students and teachers/institutions. Feedback given can help both get a fresh perspective on their methods and outcomes.

            The article I read this week by Doering introduced the concept of “adventure learning” or AL and how its function is to “provide students with opportunities to explore real world issues through authentic learning experiences within collaborative learning environments” (2006, p.2). This program was K-12 but functions very much like the adult online learning communities we have studied where everyone is responsible for gathering and constructing knowledge through reflection, collaboration, discussion, and research. AL can be a lot of things but all the “lessons” should be online, include collaboration, relate to a real world problem, and have a solid curriculum component. These sites or units are really made to help students learn together using their strengths, ability to gather information, and their ability to communicate to solve real world problems which will ultimately prepare them for life. Teachers and experts would be there to help guide and facilitate the class by helping with technology issues and pointing out where to find information, but students would ultimately be responsible for their own learning and the learning of the others on the “adventure” with them.

            One of the main similarities between the two readings was their emphasis on transformative learning. Both authors believe strongly in constructivism having a place in education, and they know that transformative learning is the key to making that method effective. However, this is also one of the aspects where the age of the participant makes a difference in how we define transformative education. For adults gathering and sharing information is an important part of the process, but for us it is almost more important for us to reflect on what has been learned and take a critical look at our process and product so that we can grow. For children in the AL program, the sharing of prior knowledge, the gathering and sharing of information and the discussion are as far as the transformative learning goes. Students are not developmentally ready, in most cases, to take a hard look at what they’ve learned, how they will apply it, and how they could improve next time. They are just excited to have learned with others and solved a real world problem “on their own” without a teacher telling them where to find their answers in the book. This article just brings to light how we will have to change our methods when designing these communities for children.

References

Doering, A. (2006). Adventure learning: transformative hybrid online education.

            Distance Education, 27(2), Retrieved from

            http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid           

            =112&sid=3bb1d264-e177-4bc1-a538-264d61ddfdf5%40sessionmgr115&vid=6

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective   strategies for the 

            virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

RSA #4: Student Success in Online K-12 Education

Online Resource: http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=107&sid=53aebf14-5824-495d-971a-01049e9d4f57%40sessionmgr114&vid=7

 

            This week’s reading covered the responsibilities of an online facilitator and how they can effectively move learning to an online format. Palloff and Pratt stress that teachers must make learning student centered and help lead students through the content instead of presenting it to them (2007). The instructor’s job is to manage the class by setting norms, encouraging social presence, and making sure students understand the technology they are required to use. The student’s role is to participate in the construction of knowledge through collaboration and inquiry (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

            Palloff and Pratt also discuss the specifics of running an online course such as creating objectives for students’ learning, choosing readings, deciding when to let students make choices, as well as coming up with discussion topics and assignments (2007). The last component that the authors discuss was setting up the location where the learning will happen. This largely will be determined by software or websites the teacher decides to use. The choice should be based on what the facilitator needs in terms of flexibility, discussions, ability to share data/sources, and overall whether or not it will be easily accessible to all students. The class’s community is what will ultimately bring the class to life with its collaboration, discussion, and social presence (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

            We also read a survey that was given to a group of administrators to collect data on “the nature of online learning in K-12 schools and establish base data for more extensive future studies” (Picciano & Seaman , 2007, pg. 20) The results of the survey provided information on why online courses would be provided by an institution, what the specific challenges were for facilitating an online course, who are providing these opportunities, and how participants felt about the programs they participated in. Picciano and Seaman also report that there has been, and will continue to be growth in the online learning field (2007). It was also interesting to note the plight of rural school districts not being able to provide as many options for their students and so those districts have been turning to online education to help supplement for their students.

            I also read an online article titled Student Success in Online K-12 Education which states that “many virtual schools exist to expand access to high quality or rigorous

curricula, serving rural areas and special learner groups such as gifted or at-risk students” (Ronsisvalle & Watkins, 2005, pg.115). They also mention that the internet is used both as an educational and social tool to create environments where students learn, collaborate, interact, and construct the knowledge to function in a job or as a citizen (Ronsisvalle & Watkins, 2005).  They go on to add that students must have certain attributes such as motivation, self discipline, and self awareness to be successful in the online format. Ronsisvalle and Watkins stress that online community building through collaboration and discussion are essential to not only the success of the student, but to the course as a whole (2005). Getting oriented to the program and the class including its structure and technology is also important. The authors recommend preparation, monitoring, and follow up training to make sure students and staff feel confident in the technologies they are being asked to use (2005).

            All three sources are in agreement when they address why the online format is being used, how important creating community is, and under what conditions the online class will flourish. The last article by Ronsisvalle and Watkins touches primarily on what makes students successful in the online format, and their findings agree that students must have certain attributes to participate successfully, community must be built and maintained, and that students and teachers must be capable of using the format with ease. I thought it was interesting to note that students who have participated in the online format previously are much more likely to be successful in a new class. The authors pointed out that the rates of success in online classes went up dramatically over the course of a few years because the students were familiar with the format and therefore more prepared to succeed in an online class (Ronsisvalle & Watkins, 2005).  

References

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective strategies for the 

              virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Picciano A. G., Seaman J. (2007). K-12 online learning: a survey of U.S. school district

            administrators. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/K-   

            12_Online_Learning.pdf

Ronsisvalle, T., & Watkins, R. . (2005). Student success in online k-12 education.

            Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(2), Retrieved from

            http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid           

            =107&sid=53aebf14-5824-495d-971a-01049e9d4f57%40sessionmgr114&vid=7

RSA #3: Instructional-Design Theory to Guide the Creation of Online Learning Communities for Adults

Online Resource: http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=119&sid=82ae8cfa-b6a9-4cf0-8116-e74657199942%40sessionmgr113&vid=12

            This week’s reading introduces the concept of an online community. Online learning communities are very similar to professional learning communities in terms of their goal of socially constructing knowledge, but through a different medium: technology. One of the major hurdles an online learning community must overcome is creating a sense community and social presence when participants do not meet face to face. Social presence is defined by Palloff and Pratt (2007) as “the person we become online” (p. 28). This social presence is usually not established until a person feels comfortable in the online community where trust, common goals, and mutually agreed upon guidelines are present (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). The authors present several methods of how to create an effective community that will foster an enthusiastic online learning environment in which participants feel comfortable and willing to express themselves. They suggest starting with a face to face meeting in which participants agree upon goals, social guidelines, time lines, methods of research, online tools, and spend some time getting to know one another, thus jump starting their formation of social presence within the community (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

            The online article I found this week was written around the same time the Palloff and Pratt book was written and even used some of their previous work as a reference. Many of their ideas were the same, but I thought the way the author broke down the idea of an online learning community into values and goals was interesting. Her 5 values were: learner centered environment, community synergy, respect of individuality, focus on real world problems, and self directed learning (Snyder, 2009). These are general guiding principals for online community building, but she also presented instructional methods which can be used to guide behavior. These instructional methods were: establish trust, maintain consistency, define and communicate purpose, confirm expectations, promote communication and collaboration during the learning process, offer flexibility, differentiate, encourage sharing of information, shared leadership, use internet resources and information, recognize and reward students, and provide time for reflection (Snyder, 2009).

            Both readings covered the same topic, but I found the Snyder article much more concise and helpful in terms of being able to figure out what’s really important when facilitating an online learning community. Although, all the authors tended to agree on the major points, I thought a few of Snyder’s instructional methods were interesting. When she talked about confirming expectations, she mentioned that after setting a purpose together as a group, each individual member should write down and share what they expected to gain from the community (Snyder, 2009). The author says that this will help other members of the group clarify what they are setting out to achieve and what the true direction will be. The other method that stuck out was time to reflect on what the group had done and what it still needed to do. She encouraged members to reflect on whether or not they had achieved their personal goals and how they would use what they learned in the “real world”. Synder also suggests that these reflections be shared online through a blog so that others can read and learn from their reflections (2009).

            Overall, I think it is interesting to note that many of the methods and practices suggested by the authors are being used effectively in this course. As I was reading this week I found myself comparing our online community to the theoretical/idealistic online communities being presented and found that they were very similar. It would seem that our instructor has done her homework. :)

References

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective                  strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Snyder, M.M. (2009). Instructional-design theory to guide the creation of online learning      communities for adults. TechTrends, 53(1), Retrieved from      http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid            =119&sid=82ae8cfa-b6a9-4cf0-8116-e74657199942%40sessionmgr113&vid=12

RSA #2 -- Improving Teacher Effectiveness through Structured Collaboration: A Case Study of a Professional Learning Community

Online Article: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ801113.pdf

            This week’s reading focused on what needs to happen after a professional learning community has been implemented in a school. After PLCs become a way of functioning at a school Martin-Kniep (2008) states that the “impact is evident in participants’ products and processes, and in their attitudes, discourse, and commitments” (p.111). This impact completely changes the way a school does its daily business. The PLC process really puts a sharp focus on student learning and everything the group does has that goal in mind. As the learning community evolves Martin-Kniep insist that there must be evaluation tools that measure, monitor, and assess the PLC’s process, progress, products, and impact (2008). The author suggests surveys, rubrics, and questioning to self assess and provides several examples for participants to use.

            The article I found this week was an analysis of the implementation of PLCs at the middle school level. The first half of the article defines what PLCs are, how they work and specifically how they were implemented in the middle schools, but the second half of the article examined the feedback from teachers who had been involved in the PLC study. Ten of the teachers involved in this rollout took a survey about their PLC experience and how effective they felt it was. This was the piece of the article I thought was most interesting based on our readings this week about community outcomes and assessment tools like the survey used. In the article Graham reports that often the topic of conversation was how teachers taught, but not necessarily how students were learning (2007). Teachers still reported growth in their professional practice and pointed to collaboration and feedback as a major contributor. One teacher insightfully points out that even if you are reflective you only see your performance and growth through your own lense, but when you are in a PLC your growth is exponential because feedback is supportive, critical and diverse (Graham, 2007). An interesting point that came up in the surveys was that the 8^th grade team interviewed reported that the PLC structure was not effective for them. The team was much smaller based on enrollment numbers and so the author attributed their lack of progress to their smaller numbers (Graham, 2007). A teacher interviewed mentioned that a PLC of two was hard because there was no majority and they often disagreed but ended up in a stalemate. Teachers at the school also unanimously agreed that leadership was a huge part of the successful implementation of the PLC model in their school (Graham, 2007). The principal sets the standards and hires the staff so he/she really sets the tone for the school and its success. Along with leadership, the staff pointed to time to meet in their PLCs being built into the day as a major key to their success (Graham, 2007).

            After thinking about both readings, the thing that immediately jumps out is that the Martin-Kniep book is the model and the ideal, but the Graham article really brings to the forefront the real issues that arise when implementing a PLC in schools. Graham shows us how the surveys and other evaluative methods talked about in the Martin-Kniep book can really be used to reflect on the progress of the PLC and guide future goals. Through the reflection of the middle school staff we learn that there can be problems with lower numbers being involved in a PLC, and that teachers don’t always follow the model the way they should. I think that the teacher who mentioned the PLC meetings centering around teaching and not student learning was very insightful. I can see how meetings might turn out this way. When a group of people teaching in isolation finally come together and collaborate, most likely they will have questions about what they are teaching compared to others and how best to teach it. After teachers get through the initial stage of getting feedback from peers, they are able to get to the root of the issue which is student learning. Another issue that was mentioned in the Graham article was that some teachers felt a PLC was positive because they were able to try new things and styles of teaching, but others felt their creativity was stifled by having to conform to the majority (2007). This is another real life issue that isn’t examined in the Martin-Kniep book. The teachers went on to say that the reflective piece was really important because then they were able to comment on whether or not accepting another idea/view (of the majority) was worth it in the end, and if not why. The reflection gave them the opportunity to express their frustration or their joy when they are done teaching the lesson.

            Overall I think the two articles were a great mix. I was able to understand what the ideal outcomes were and how to effectively assess a PLC after/while it was being implemented. Then I was able to see those evaluative tools in action and discover the real world problems that are bound to arise when bringing a group of people together in a collaborative way.

References

Graham, P. (2007). Improving teacher effectiveness through structured collaboration: a case study of a professional learning community. RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education, 31(1), 1-17.

Martin-Kniep, G. (2008). Communities that learn, lead, and last: Building and sustaining educational expertise (pp. 111-154). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

RSA #1 -- Professional Learning Communities: Developing a School-Level Readiness Instrument

Online Article: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ807003.pdf

            This week’s readings focused on what it takes to develop a lasting professional learning community. Both the Martin-Kniep (2008) book and the McRel (2003) article pointed out that you must have a few key understandings: a shared vision or goal, shared decision making and leadership, and shared responsibility for ongoing investigation and research. Although the Martin-Kniep (2008) chapters going further in depth about who participates, how they might be organized, and how the PLC should function in regards to things like frequency of meetings, both readings summarize how a professional learning community should look and carry out its mission.  A big idea in both readings was that trust and support from members of a PLC encourages others to have honest reflection which facilitates growth of the participant and eventually provides better learning opportunities for students. Another important issue is having a climate that supports a learning community. School and even district leadership need to show support and facilitation of a PLC while teachers need to be open and willing to learn and share.

            The article read by Williams, Brien, Sprague, and Sullivan (2008) was a look at the process of developing a “school-based instrument that identifies systemic barriers” that would ultimately hinder the implementation of a PLC at any level. The article takes a hard look at school culture, leadership, as well as teaching and learning at several schools that participated in their study. They used and developed surveys as a tool for measuring whether a school was to engage in a sustainable PLC. The results of their surveys uncovered several issues hurdles that a school will face. Their first finding was that schools are often “rooted in a bureaucratic system” that does little to actually encourage meaningful growth in professional practices and ultimately learning in the classroom (Williams, Brien, Sprague, & Sullivan, 2008). They claim that unless the whole system changes from top to bottom true progress with sustainable PLC’s will not be possible. They also concluded that leadership, namely principals, are very essential to creating a climate that supports professional learning and open communication (Williams, Brien, Sprague, & Sullivan, 2008). Moreover, principals must earn the trust of the learning community by not using their power to bully or judge. They must also embrace the model by providing participants the time it takes for a PLC to function effectively.

.           Overall, the authors had the same ideas about what PLC’s are, who participates, and how they function, but after reading and reflecting on all three sources, I think that it is interesting that they all emphasize leadership and the climate they create as being key success or failure points. When you have a strong leader who is committed to creating a school culture of honesty, trust, and a willingness to learn, you will often find a school ready to implement a professional learning community. Leadership will set the tone for the staff’s willingness to share and work outside of their personal goals.  Williams, Brien, Sprague, and Sullivan (2008) go even further though stating that the entire educational system needs to reevaluate its structure and find ways to make time and supportive climates to facilitate teachers embracing the PLC model and making the standard in education.

References

Martin-Kniep, G. (2008). Communities that learn, lead, and last: Building and sustaining educational expertise (pp. 77-110). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).(2003). Sustaining school improvement: Professional learning community, 1 – 4. Retrieved from http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_proflrncommfolio.pdf

Williams, R., Brien, K., Sprague, C., & Sullivan, G. (2008). Professional learning communities: developing a school-level readiness instrument. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (74), 1-17.

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