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Trying to create a deliberately educational experience while trying to wrap it in something vaguely entertaining is challenging at best. Here is a very long, but interesting look at developing an educational experience with an entertaining wrapper.
Let’s all just hope that this helps lead to learning experiences that are actually meaningful, where the message isn’t lost in the entertaining elements.
Posted by Rebecca as Experiential Learning at 7:50 AM EST
I’ve been chatting with someone recently who informed me that he isn’t a good teacher. He then went on to tell me what he has taught to people. It was a fairly impressive list for someone who "can’t teach".
I’m trying to explain to him that education doesn’t have to be formal. Lesson plans and seating arrangements have their place. However, true learning can take place without either.
In the end, teaching really comes down to chunking. To creating small, bite-size portions of knowledge that the learner can swallow without choking. I think once that fact is accepted, then more people might discover they have a hidden talent for informal teaching.
Posted by Rebecca as Teaching methods at 8:47 AM EST
I’ve been working on the back end of the website that this blog will eventually be moving to, and one of the tools I really want to make good use of RSS.
I use RSS to read blogs I enjoy, and keep up with website updates. I even use it to keep up with fora. Now, I want to use it to make my website…sparkle…for lack of a better term. My ultimate goal is to turn the front page of my website into a portal that kind of resembles my SuprGlu page. A one-stop spot for people wanting to keep up with the site, but offering links into each section of the site for those who would prefer only to deal with the niches that interest them.
Some RSS tips, techniques, and coolness
Found via elearnspace and OLDaily
Posted by Rebecca as e-learning at 7:58 AM EST
Last week, I ran into a number of posts with titles about an interactive learning system failing a reading test. Naturally, I was curious.
Anyway, it turns out that an intereactive reading program has been implemented in England. However, when children who were working with the new program were assessed and compared to children who were not working with the same program, it was discovered that the children who were using the intereactive program didn’t fare as well as those not using the program.
This example right here illustrates two things for me. The first is that try as anyone might, a computer will never replace a human teacher in the classroom. Take that, science fiction! The second is this gross misconception that "engaging" and "entertaining" must be synonymous. I know I’ve talked about this one before, but I think those creating e-learning solutions are confusing the terms.
One of the problems cited with the interactive reading program is that the students are distracted and drawn off track by pointless add-ons to the program. An e-learning solution should never include elements that could draw the target student off the main task. The program should provide a hands-on "interactive" approach, rather than a clicky "interactive" approach. I think that somehow, "interactive" has become viewed as something more than just hands-on work.
I honestly think I’m going to go pursue my master’s in educational technology, just so I can do massive research and development in this differentiation.
Oh, Here’s an interesting look at the study in question. Nice job analyzing what is missing from this study.
Posted by Rebecca as e-learning at 9:29 AM EST
The title of the post pretty much says it all: Crash Course in Learning Theory.
There is some great information in here:
This is a nice, concise presentation that anyone who teaches could benefit from reading!
Posted by Rebecca as Teaching methods at 8:04 AM EST
If I were Chloe Sullivan, this would be Wall of Weird material.
Friday night, I was working on getting some pre-blogging done in preparation for a crazy weekend that failed to materialize. I kept working on entries that required various levels of correctly presenting titles. At one point, I sat there thinking to myself that I was grateful to never have to teach that distinction to a student.
Saturday morning, I poured a little maple syrup on my words as I sat down to teach my regular weekend writing student. The lesson? Using underlining and quotations in titles. I choked for a moment before giving her the simplest explanation possible. Thankfully, it worked for her. She got it without any problem.
Meanwhile, I was sitting there a little creeped out…
At least I now know I can teach this concept.
Posted by Rebecca as Reflective teaching at 8:04 AM EST
I’m still recovering from the holidays, but a couple of links have been sitting in my aggregator begging to be shared.
One of the things I wrestle with almost on a daily basis is reconciling my offline and online lives. I am trying to start an online business. Almost everybody looks for me online first before trying to reach me any other way, and similarly all panic when I’m offline without warning for a single day. When I’m home, my laptop is generally at the end of my arms. I guess one could say I’m a bit connected.
My only source of income at the moment enables me to completely walk away from computers and deal directly with people. Those people are my students, who all know I live somewhere online. The older students have forced me to implement rules as they either find me online and try to contact me, or ask for my contact information when they see me. I’m flattered they want to stay in touch with me, but it often worries me that perhaps they see me as much a friend as their teacher. (No, respect really isn’t a problem I have with most of my kids.)
Last month, I ran across a pair of links on this phenomenon of living online and acessible information. Both just struck me as the first of my students left, handing me a piece of paper with her contact information on it. They aren’t entirely related, I know, but my stream of consciousness has been, and continues to be, a bit frazzled.
Accessible information, accessible people
Posted by Rebecca as Responsibility at 7:21 AM EST
I’m afraid I’m still somewhat on the vacation that minimized my posting last week, but still feeling compelled to start off this year’s blogging on the right foot!
I’d like to start by sharing two links that came to my attention over the last week. Both look at connecting knowledge, something I’ve discovered I actually feel strongly about. I’m sure I’ll be exploring the topic off and on over the next year.
I think part of what sparked me off was the realization I was in a room full of teachers recently, some of whom are certified and "in the trenches", and couldn’t get what I consider simple questions answered. Washington is dealing with their standardized statewide testing on a much grander scale with "consequences" for the first time. In the course of conversation, I discovered that part of the perceived problem with the assessment is that no one seems to be able to agree what students in various grades should know. This didn’t sit well with me at all.
If you don’t know what your students should know, then how do you build on that? Can you build on that? I felt like I was watching a cliff being eroded. Of course, it didn’t really help that I’m not a fan of standardized testing to begin with, and my background coming from Texas really didn’t help the conversation. (I actually starting laughing at talk of the exit WASL.) I’ll leave that soap box for past and future posts.
Anyway…where was I? Oh, yes. Students need to know something in order to build future knowledge on top. Layering is a happy thing.
Posted by Rebecca as Learning methods at 7:07 AM EST