Open Educational Resources

I had never heard of Open Educational Resources until this assignment, and I find the notion quite amazing! I guess I shouldn't say that I had never heard of them, I knew of websites such as Wikipedia, but had never heard the term Open Educational Resource. From what I gather, educators nation and worldwide are creating a virtual learning community through Open Educational Resources. Content that was once only available to scholars is now becoming accessible to all inquiring minds. THIS. IS. FANTASTIC! Now anyone, with a little bit of curiosity on a topic, can gain a wealth of knowledge with "just the click of a button." I think this represents everything an educator should stand for. It is not the sole future of education, but a very important part of it. I do not in any way think that it will make classroom education obsolete, I do however think that it will change the dynamics of classroom education, creating "classrooms" everywhere. Materials that were once only in the hands of a select few will now be at the fingertips of all inquiring minds. I think that Open Educational Resources will also be beneficial because they are secure, trusted resources, unlike a lot of information that can be found online. It is imperative that an inquiring mind is provided with the best, most current, factual information available. I think Open Education Resources are a great way to ensure that those who want to know and learn are able to educate themselves with undistorted information. Hooray for Open Educational Resources! May we all seek knowledge and gain perspective.

10 Open Education Resources You May Not Know (but should)...

Flipped Learning

Flipped Learning takes place when students are assigned videos to watch prior to class in order to be able to discuss the content in class.  The videos can be teacher lectures, documentaries, short films, etc., that pertain to the lesson and/or unit being taught.  Flipped Learning is an innovative way to allow for more interaction among students and teachers.  The idea behind this up and coming concept is that students need teachers to answer questions, provide help, and guide their thinking, instead of just presenting a lecture and reviewing facts.  Flipped Learning, also known as the Flipped Classroom has numerous benefits, but must be executed appropriately in order to avoid some of it's drawbacks.

Positives:

• Utilizes technology in order to reduce lecture time in the classroom.

• Allows teachers to differentiate instruction, and students to learn at their own pace.

• Appropriately integrates technology into the classroom.

• Increases interaction student to student and student to teacher.

Negatives:

• Students may choose not to do any of the out of class assignments.
• Students may be easily distracted by other internet sites.
• Teachers may not properly implement "flipping."
• Students may not have access to the necessary technology.

Implications for the Future:

I think that Flipped Learning is going to have a wonderful impact on education.  I'm excited and scared at the same time.  The excitement stems from the idea of being able to present lessons in different ways, and having a greater ability to differentiate them for my students.  I am scared because I'm not entirely comfortable with being in front of the camera.  I realize this is an anxiety that I will have to overcome, but for now it is still a bit foreign to me.  I am completely comfortable with assigning parts or a documentary or an educational YouTube video to watch, but when it comes to taking center stageI have cold feet.  I guess it will just take a few glasses of wine bit of practice.

Resources:

Flipped Leaning

Flipped-Learning

The Truth About Flipped Learning

Flipped Classroom

Further Exploration:

How the Flipped Classroom is Radically Transforming Learning

Flipped Classroom

Teaching for Tomorrow (Video) 

Experiencing Group.

All in all I thought the group project was a great experience!  I really like working collaboratively with my classmates, and I enjoy having the opportunity to present instead of just handing in a paper.  I thought that my group did a wonderful job distributing the work evenly.  Each of us had a major topic that encompassed two smaller aspects.  We each wrote our share of the paper, and I thought it turned out pretty well.  Paper writing isn’t my strong point, so I was more than happy to be speaking in front of the class when it came time to present.  I also had never worked with Prezi before, so it was great to have a group member like Brayden who knew a lot about it, and could help during the presentation.  Thanks Brayden!!

Some considerations, hmm…only presentations no papers!!  I think that would be a fabulous idea.  I also think that it would have been better to spend more time going over Prezi a little more during class.  I think it’s a great tool, and I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to use it, but had it not been for Brayden, I would have been totally lost.  So I suppose in a way maybe he took on more work.  Sorry Brayden!! I feel like I keep going back to the presentations, but really they were my favorite part, because they also gave me the opportunity to see the different ways my classmates used the program.  Definitely a great experience despite the paper :o)

PowerPoint (Hmm...)

This past assignment really got me thinking, which is why I choose to insert “Hmmm…” in my title.  We were asked to create a PowerPoint that would supplement a lesson.  It wasn’t a direct teaching tool, but something that could be interactive.  At first, I had some difficulty understanding what exactly was being asked.  But after I asked a few questions, and listened to those that were being asked by my classmates, I began to piece this project together.  In our PowerPoint we were to cover a standard or standards established by the state of Pennsylvania for our subject area; there didn’t seem like a better place to start then on their website.

I am studying to be a middle level science teacher, and I’m highly interested in environment and ecology.  I scrolled aimlessly through the website for a bit, pausing to stare at the screen read anything that sparked my interest.  This is when I stumbled upon “watersheds,” specifically, the five major watersheds in Pennsylvania.  It was something that apparently all sixth grade science students must know, but I couldn’t name all of them, so I figured this would be a great learning experience.  Not only about PowerPoint, but about Pennsylvania watersheds.

My investigation began with a Google search of “5 major watersheds in Pennsylvania;” turns out there are six.  Who knew?  Can YOU name them?  I had most of the information I needed, now I needed to decide what to do with it.  I always appreciated a nice review before an exam, so that is what I decided to design.  I wanted my PowerPoint to be used as a quick review of previous lessons before students would be assessed.  Basic question and answer seemed easy enough, although quite boring, so I added a few pictures and even a video (which I tried to embed, but ended up just hyperlinking).  I have little experience with PowerPoint, I know the basics, and I’ve made basic presentations for various classes, but definitely nothing extravagant.  I decided to play around with different animations on words, that was fun, I never knew there were so many options.  In the end, I was pretty impressed with my short but sweet little PowerPoint review.  I had branched out of my comfort zone and attempted things with the program that I had never done before (probably because I didn’t realize they were even an option).

      

And then came presentations.  Piece. Of. Cake.  I have taken two public speaking courses and although it sometimes bothers me to stand in front of large audiences, I found our small group to be no problem.  I also really enjoyed seeing everyone else’s PowerPoint.  Other members of my group had included even more aspects that I had not even thought about.  The presentations included wonderful graphics, sounds, and a bit of humor (which I thoroughly enjoyed)! 

All in all I thought it was a great learning experience.  I eased a bit further out of my technological comfort zone, and gained a lot of respect for anyone who puts together an outstanding presentation (it really is SO MUCH work).  PowerPoint is definitely something I want to work with more and learn more about.  I think it would best suit me to take an additional technology course or courses (possibly through an Apple Store, I think they do that, I should look into it).  I enjoy our class now, and feel as though I’m learning a lot, but I wish the class size were smaller in order to provide more one-on-one instruction.  Although it is flattering for some to assume that because I am a young woman with glasses I must know a lot about computers, that could not be further from the truth.  I hope to learn more and more throughout the semester, but for now I am happy with my hyperlinked video and falling words.

End Note: This is the most that I have ever typed for a blog in my life.  IN MY LIFE.  To check out more about me with less words and more pictures (yay!) click here.

Two More for The Roll!

Hey everyone, here are two blogs I found and really liked!

Girl with a Lesson Plan - High school English teacher shares her thoughts, concerns, and what she has learned over the years.  Also includes links to relevant articles, quotes, and photos.

Hey, Miss At... - Third year, eighth grade teachers shares what she loves and loathes about her job. Humorous, good read for a bad day!

As you can see I am a bit partial to tumblr.  It is a blogging site that I have worked with before.  If you have never heard of it, I highly suggest checking it out!  I have recently started a new blog on there dedicated to education.  The is not much on my page yet, but fell free to check me out as well!

My Beliefs About Technology and Learning

I find technology fascinating, especially when I think about how much has changed just within my lifetime.  When it come to technology in the classroom, I feel as though I right on the cusp of a now rapidly growing movement.  What I mean by this is when I was in elementary and middle school, we had a single computer lab, I cannot recall any actual classrooms with computers in them.  The teachers wrote on chalkboards or used overhead projectors, research was done through books at the library, and the biggest thing that anyone seemed to use the internet for at home was AOL Instant Messaging.  Although it doesn't seem like that long ago, a lot has changed since then, and a lot will continue to change.  I think it is wonderful that students and teachers alike now have an increasing amount of access to technology and the resources that technology has to offer, but this does not come without concern.  What worries me the most about advancing technology and it's use within an educational setting, is the potential for students to forget or not even learn some critical thinking skills such as reading and being able to understand and summarize the information.  It seems as though technology can do almost anything for us now, which can be very helpful to those students who do struggle with certain aspects of learning, but also can be detrimental to those who do not use it properly.  That being said, technology is something that needs constant attention, teachers and students must understand the pros and cons associated with it, and it must be used properly both in and out of the classroom.

Using Technology in Education (YouTube)

What is Important to Me...

To me, one of the most important aspects of education is that my students become life-long learners.  I want my students to recognize and understand that learning doesn't just take place in the classroom.

Learning Outside the Classroom (YouTube)