teachers

Reflections on some nice ideas from Dr. Barbi Honeycutt [Lecture Breakers Weekly!]

On 09/08/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, Adobe, adult learning, Apple, Bring your own device (BYOD), cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, distance education, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, faculty, future, global / globalization, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, microlearning, Microsoft, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, pedagogy, platforms, remote teaching and learning, second screen apps, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, social media, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, tools, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), using teams, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual K-12 schools, vision/possibilities, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Per this week’s Lecture Breakers Weekly! from Dr. Barbi Honeycutt:

Break up your online lectures with the Watch Party! Here’s how you can do it:

Pre-record your mini-lecture or find a video you want to use for your lesson.
Instead of asking students to watch the video on their own, play it during your synchronous/live class time.
Explain to your students that they are watching the video all at the same time and that you will be facilitating the chat and answering their questions as they watch the video together. It’s a watch party!
Option: Take the conversation out of Zoom or your LMS. Create a hashtag for your course on Twitter and invite other experts, colleagues, or friends to join the conversation.

Instead of presenting during the synchronous class time, you can now focus completely on managing the chat, prompting discussion, and responding to students’ questions and ideas in real-time. And be sure to record and save the chat for students who couldn’t attend the live session or want to review it later.

From DSC:
This is one of the kind of things that I envisioned with Learning from the living class[room] — a next-generation, global learning platform.

Learners could be watching a presentation/presenter, but communicating in real-time with other learners. Perhaps it will be a tvOS-based app or something similar. But TV as we know it is changing, right? It continues to become more interactive and on-demand all the time. Add videoconferencing apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex Meetings, Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect and others, and you have real-time, continuous, lifelong, relevant/timely, affordable, accessible, up-to-date learning.

Also, you have TEAM-BASED learning.

“These are but some of the changes to the learning ecosystems out there. Certainly, more are coming.” [Christian]

On 09/04/2020, in active learning, Alternatives, blended learning, career development, change, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, disruption, distance education, education, education reform, education technology, engagement / engaging students, Facebook / Meta Platforms, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, Google, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, hybrid learning, ideas, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, mathematics, Michigan, more voice more choice more control, motivation, neurodivergent/special needs, parents/guardians, participation, passions, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, programming, reading, social learning / networks, society, STEAM-related, streams of content, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Below are but some of the changes to the learning ecosystems out there. Certainly, more are coming.

Ex-Google employees form virtual tech ‘school’ for gap year students amid college closures — from cnbc.com by Jennifer Elias

KEY POINTS

Current and former Google employees are forming an online program aimed at preparing students for the workforce if they’re taking time off school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It comes as many college students defer school as universities shift learning models to mostly online amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Google execs past and present have volunteered to mentor college students on topics ranging from career trajectory to how to stand out in virtual Zoom interviews.

Along these lines, see:

Google has a plan to disrupt the college degree — from inc.com by Justin Bariso
Google’s new certificate program takes only six months to complete, and will be a fraction of the cost of college.
Excerpt:
Google recently made a huge announcement that could change the future of work and higher education: It’s launching a selection of professional courses that teach candidates how to perform in-demand jobs. These courses, which the company is calling Google Career Certificates, teach foundational skills that can help job-seekers immediately find employment. However, instead of taking years to finish like a traditional university degree, these courses are designed to be completed in about six months.

From DSC:
Also, to see some more changes to the learning ecosystems out there, set up a Google Alert (or something similar in Feedly or via another tool) for “Learning Pods,” “Pandemic Pods,” and/or the “growth of homeschooling.” Here’s but one recent example:

About Academic Warriors:

Life can be very hard for autistic, gifted and special needs learners. Autistic and gifted learners often times struggle in school because they learn very differently than their peers. These special learners need a personalized approach to their education that allows them to learn in their own way at their own pace.

Many times parents and students feel as if they are the only ones like them in the world. This can often times lead to isolation and frustration. It is important for all autistic, gifted and special needs to unite in order to support one another. We are named Academic Warriors because all our students are superheroes in a world that doesn’t always understand and/or appreciate them. We help our students to become strong, independent and positive learners despite what the world may think of them.

It is the mission of Academic Warriors to help create positive learning experiences and communities throughout the United States for autistic, gifted and special needs learners. We offer online courses, programs, private school and in person events that foster an unique learning environment that promotes unity among all our students and families. We strive to create online and in person learning communities in every state that will provide educational opportunities for all families of autistic, gifted and special needs students. Together we can create a better world for the autistic, gifted and special needs learner.

From DSC:
As part of a homeschooling-based situation, my wife received the following item for one of our daughters (who needs additional/personalized assistance to learn). Simultaneously, she and our daughter sent them a Michigan Exchange Box. Very cool.

I believe my wife found this out at the following group in Facebook:

Some channels out on Youtube that have to do with learning:
(and by the way, according to Jane Hart’s recent Top 200 Tools for Learning, YouTube is in the #1 spot for the 5th year in a row!)

“Horse Sense Tutoring Services is a unique resource that combines the power of Equine Assisted Learning with evidence-based reading and math strategies that engage the mind, body, and emotions in learning. We use the principles of discovery, experience, movement, reflection, and connection in partnership with our horse friends.
…
Based at The Barn for Equine Learning…my program offers targeted reading, math, and basic horsemanship tutoring for students in grades K – 8. Horses become teaching and learning partners as students experience academics and social-emotional learning in a whole new way.

If you are looking for a unique tutoring and confidence-building experience for your child, PM for more information. Sessions are held outdoors and/or in an open barn setting.

(Small group field trips with an introduction to basic horsemanship skills are also available).

From DSC:
So these are just a few examples of how the learning ecosystems are changing out there! Surely, there will be more changes coming down the pike.

Teaching: Tips for Helping Students Through Another Tough Semester [Supiano]

On 09/03/2020, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, faculty, health, higher education, online learning, remote teaching and learning, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

Subject: Teaching: Tips for Helping Students Through Another Tough Semester — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano

This week:

I share some simple ways professors can help stressed-out students navigate their courses.
I pass along some other resources for supporting students during the pandemic.
I share some recent articles you may have missed.
I ask for your perspective on how the fall semester is unfolding.

From “A New Way Forward” –> Big Picture Learning: Grab the Remote!

On 09/03/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, change, content development, aggregation, repositories, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, distance education, drama/theater, education, education reform, face-to-face, future, game-changing environment, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, online learning, pedagogy, platforms, policy, political science, reinvent, remote teaching and learning, second screen apps, smart classrooms, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, society, staying relevant, streams of content, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, traditional / tradition, United States, user experience (UX), using teams, vendors, virtual K-12 schools, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, youth, by Daniel Christian

From A New Way Forward:

Also see the following “Must Reads” from A New Way Forward:

Get Real! by Carlos Moreno and Elliot Washor
(Source: Navigating Our Way)
To Reimagine the Future of Education, Innovation Isn’t Enough
by Kelly Young and Josh Schacter
(Source: The 74 Million)
An Opportunity to Disrupt Education for the Better: Lessons From Starting a School in a Pandemic by Tom Woelper
(Source: Getting Smart)
Keeping Your Child Engaged During Distance Learning by Elizabeth Yun
(Source: Altitude Learning)

From DSC:
Along these lines…in regards to digital equity, I’m reminded of this recent graphic:

Editorial: Spaces is only a small part of Apple’s enormous AR/VR puzzle [Jeremy Horwitz]

On 09/02/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, animation, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), corporate universities / corporate training, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, immersion, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, mathematics, media/film, multimedia, online learning, online media, platforms, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, United States, usability, user experience (UX), vendors, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

Editorial: Spaces is only a small part of Apple’s enormous AR/VR puzzle — from uploadvr.com by Jeremy Horwitz

Excerpt:

A demonstration of Spaces’ latest tech shows a cartoony teacher offering whiteboard presentations with accompanying lip and body synchronization — a gentle evolution of existing VR avatar technology. You could easily imagine the 3D model replaced with one of Apple’s current Memoji avatars, enabling an iPad- or iPhone-toting teacher to offer a presentation to a virtual class over Zoom.

VR Pre-Algebra with Ms. Jeffries // Volume Review https://t.co/EBT95NewaA via @YouTube

— Daniel Christian (@dchristian5) September 1, 2020

Artificial Intelligence for Learning: How to use AI to Support Employee Development [Donald Clark]

On 09/02/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, analytics, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, business, business side of he, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, faculty, formal learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, IT in HE, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning theories, Natural Language Processing (NLP), New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, research, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, technology (general), tools, training / L&D, trends, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

So what is the book about? — from donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com by Donald Clark; which discusses his book entitled, Artificial Intelligence for Learning: How to use AI to Support Employee Development

Excerpt:

AI changes everything. It changes how we work, shop, travel, entertain ourselves, socialize, deal with finance and healthcare. When online, AI mediates almost everything – Google, Google Scholar, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Netflix. It would be bizarre to imagine that AI will have no role to play in learning – it already has.

Both informally and formally, AI is now embedded in many of the tools real learners use for online learning – we search for knowledge using AI (Google, Google Scholar), we search for practical knowledge using AI (YouTube), Duolingo for languages, and CPD is becoming common on social media, almost all mediated by AI. It is everywhere, just largely invisible. This book is partly about the role of AI in informal learning but it is largely about its existing and potential role in formal learning – in schools, Universities and the workplace. AI changes the world, so it changes why we learn, what we learn and how we learn.

Also see:

Abandon lectures: increase attendance, attitudes and attainment — from donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com by Donald Clark
Excerpt:
The groups were taught a module in a physics course, in three one hour sessions in one week. In short; attendance increased, measured attitudes were better (students enjoyed the experience (90%) and thought that the whole course would be better if taught this way (77%)). More importantly students in the experimental group outperformed the control group, doing more than twice as well in assessment than the control group.

Just released today! Jane Hart’s Top 200 Tools for Learning

On 09/01/2020, in 21st century, active learning, adjunct faculty, Adobe, adult learning, Apple, Asia, assessment, blended learning, blogs / blogging / vlogging, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, distance education, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, engagement / engaging students, Europe, Facebook / Meta Platforms, faculty, flipping -- inverted learning, global / globalization, Google, higher education, instructional design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, media/film, microlearning, Microsoft, multimedia, Natural Language Processing (NLP), new media literacies, online learning, online media, participation, photography, platforms, play, productivity / tips and tricks, remote teaching and learning, simulations, social learning / networks, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, technology (general), tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace, writing, by Daniel Christian

Top 200 Tools for Learning — from toptools4learning.com by Jane Hart

Excerpt:

The Top Tools for Learning 2020 was compiled by Jane Hart from the results of the 14th Annual Learning Tools Survey, and released on 1 September 2020. For general information about the survey and this website, visit the About page. For observations and infographics of this year’s list, see Analysis 2020.

Let’s do a reality check, shall we? [Christian]

On 09/01/2020, in adjunct faculty, Asia, Australia, Canada, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, distance education, education technology, elearning, engagement / engaging students, Europe, expectations, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, India, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, liberal arts, lifelong learning, Michigan, new business models, online learning, parents/guardians, pedagogy, reinvent, remote teaching and learning, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telecommunications, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, vision/possibilities, web design and production, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I’ve heard many people mention that what we did throughout K-16 in the spring of 2020 was remote teaching — an emergency response to the Coronavirus. And I would agree with that assessment and verbiage — that was/is very true. It wasn’t online-based learning as many of us have come to know it over the last 20+ years. It didn’t offer a lot of the things that organizations like the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and Quality Matters have been trying to promote and get us to achieve for years.

But then I hear the expectation that everything has been vastly improved over the summer and suddenly, almost overnight, all teachers, professors, trainers, adjunct faculty members, etc. have become highly proficient in matters involving online-based teaching and learning. In other words, the expectations say that:

Students should expect a top-notch experience now that summer is over.
Suddenly, Rome was built in a day!

But it wasn’t, and it isn’t.

It takes time and practice to become proficient in how to teach online. That’s the truth. It also takes a great deal of time and investments in hardware, software, tools, training/education/professional development, networking and telecommunications infrastructure, and more. It takes numerous skillsets to do it well. (By the way, that’s why I like to think in terms of team-based content creation and delivery.)

Also, often times, it takes MORE time to teach online than it does to teach in a face-to-face classroom. That is certainly the case for the first time that you will be teaching online. You need to know that going into it. You have to put your course together PLUS learn how to deliver it effectively in an online-based format. You need to learn a variety of tools and related ecosystems. Not a simple, overnight kind of task, I can assure you.

So students, don’t expect your faculty members to become professional online-based teachers overnight. Again, it takes time and practice…just like anything we set out to do.

And for you student teachers and Education Departments/Programs out there, keep at it. Don’t dismiss this time as a brief period/phenomenon that will simply go away and we’ll get back to “normal.” Make the necessary adjustments to your curriculum, toolsets, “teacher placements,” and more. Let’s get prepared for the future, come what may.

For higher ed, if you want to continue to use adjunct faculty members to handle a significant amount of the teaching load out there, you will need to better address the training and the $$/reimbursements that you provide to them.

And for all of the teachers, trainers, faculty members — and now even parents and/or guardians — out there, cut yourself some slack, give yourself some grace, and keep trying. One step at a time. Don’t get discouraged.

Also relevant/see:

Build and accelerate beyond the pandemic: Consciously deliver a great online experience for lifelong learners — from evoLLLution.com by Philip Regier

Excerpt:

Today’s learners have high expectations as expert consumers in all aspects of their lives. Higher education needs to create an infrastructure that meets the needs of this tech-savvy demographic. Institutions need to recognize that the online environment is here to stay and is in need of a rebuild in order to deliver the best student experience possible, even post-pandemic. In this interview, Phil Regier discusses the today’s learners’ expectations, scaling a high-quality online environment, and how to build the right infrastructure to support learners in this new and digitized normal.

7 things you should know about podcasting — from library.educause.edu

Excerpt:

What is it?
In its most basic sense, a podcast is an audio file. When the term was introduced in 2004—derived from the Apple iPod, at the time still a novel portable music player—podcast referred to audio content that employed RSS technology to allow users to subscribe to serialized content that is automatically downloaded and synchronized whenever it is updated. Purists would insist that those requirements still apply—that a podcast must be serialized content available through an RSS feed. In common usage, however, the term has become much looser and is now often used to describe essentially any audio file, whether it is part of a program or a one-off, and even audio content available on a website but not syndicated. It can replace or augment written material, such as textbooks or similar resources. Other podcasts consist of poetry or fiction or are venues for entertainment. Podcasting is enjoying a resurgence, in part because of the penetration of smartphones. People can listen to podcasts during their commutes, while exercising or washing the dishes, or in countless other times and places.

Watch out for these 3 mistakes you’re making during distance teaching [Emerich France]

On 09/01/2020, in active learning, adjunct faculty, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communications, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, distance education, education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, experimentation, faculty, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, liberal arts, online learning, online tutoring, participation, pedagogy, remote teaching and learning, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, universities, user experience (UX), by Daniel Christian

Watch out for these 3 mistakes you’re making during distance teaching — from edsurge.com by Paul Emerich France

Excerpt:

Distance teaching also shone a light on problematic practices that were never effective in person, either. And trying to re-create them in a virtual environment didn’t make them any better. As many schools resume remote instruction this fall, watch out for these three mistakes you may be making. More importantly, give yourself the liberty to try out some of the alternative approaches that can help make distance teaching more sustainable and effective.

Video Now Available! Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Online Teaching [saltlaw.org]

On 08/31/2020, in instructional design, law schools, learning, Learning Experience Design, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, remote teaching and learning, society, sociology, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, by Daniel Christian

SALT Social Justice Series Promoting Equity Online (21 Aug 2020) — from saltlaw.org with a special thanks to Catherine M. Grosso for these resources (Catherine is a Professor of Law at Michigan State University, Co-President, Society of American Law Teachers, and an Associate Editor for the National Registry of Exonerations.)

From DSC:
To me, that last bullet point says:

“I’m on your team and I’m here to help you become the best lawyer, litigator, judge, legislator, etc. that you can be.”

Other resources Catherine and Dr. Tasha Souza mentioned:

The Pandemic May Drive Principals to Quit [Maxwell & Superville]

On 08/28/2020, in education, health, K-12 related, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, remote teaching and learning, student-related, teachers, United States, by Daniel Christian

The Pandemic May Drive Principals to Quit — from blogs.edweek.org by Lesli A. Maxwell and Denisa R. Superville

Excerpt:

The physical and emotional strain of the coronavirus pandemic is taking a steep toll on America’s principals, with a large share saying they are speeding up plans to retire or otherwise leave the profession.

Forty-five percent of principals said that pandemic conditions are prompting them to leave the job sooner than they had previously planned, according to a new survey from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. A slightly larger share—46 percent—said the pandemic has not changed their plans to stay in or leave the profession.

From DSC:
Stressful times, indeed. What will the pandemic ultimately do to the learning ecosystems related to the school systems, families, and youth within K-12 within the U.S.? It’s hard to say at this point, but time will tell.

Virtual breakout rooms — from engagetheirminds.com

Resources re: virtual labs from the OLC & from Educause

On 08/26/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), biology, chemistry, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, community colleges, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, higher education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, interaction design, interactivity, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, multimedia, online learning, participation, physics, platforms, science, simulations, STEAM-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, visualizing information, web design and production, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Labs — from library.educause.edu

Excerpt:

Virtual labs are interactive, digital simulations of activities that typically take place in physical laboratory settings. Virtual labs simulate the tools, equipment, tests, and procedures used in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, biology, and other disciplines. Virtual labs allow students to participate in lab-based learning exercises without the costs and limitations of a physical lab. Virtual labs can be an important element in institutional efforts to expand access to lab-based courses to more and different groups of students, as well as efforts to establish contingency plans for natural disasters or other interruptions of campus activities.

Addendum on 8/27/20:

Ryerson U Intros AR-Enhanced Science Labs — from campustechnology.com by Dian Schaffhauser

DC: Love this slide on empathy! Especially the last bullet point here!

On 08/21/2020, in Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, higher education, K-12 related, law schools, online learning, relationships, society, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, by Daniel Christian

Love this slide from Sha-Shana N.L. Chrichton's portion of a presentatn today by SALT https://t.co/W1Fz2qOVxf! The bullet pt that says "I want you 2learn & 2succeed" says that I'm on your team! I want 2help U become the best lawyer, legislator, judge, litigator that U can become! pic.twitter.com/0eS0xf4gtF

— Daniel Christian (@dchristian5) August 21, 2020

Learning Ecosystems

Video Now Available! Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Online Teaching [saltlaw.org]

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