It has now been several weeks into the course. I am digging my way through all the materials for the Essentials of eLearning with Jen, our instructor and my classmates. Or as one student’s article stated, “Slogging” through them. The modules are relatively easy to complete; however the entries into Diigo are so captivating that it takes a great deal of time to sift through all the information and correlate it with the concepts present in the Modules. I am beginning to understand the process of backward design and it makes sense. Although I have not built a course using the technique, it should be an interesting undertaking.
The first module covered learning online. Most of what was offered kick started my thought processes. Our discussions moved to Diigo and our personal comments went into that bookmarking tool, as well.. Once we began posting articles we found, it just made sense to comment and reflect on the entries being bookmarked. My first observation was the people in my course seem pretty serious about their comments. I wondered if intellectualizing was fun. To me fun is adding a bit of humor here and there, especially when one finds that he/she has misunderstood a concept in one of the articles or something someone said. Incongruence is the backbone of humor, I think.
Since I recently joined a gym (the local YWCA) and Weight Watchers to lose the pounds that keep creeping up on my body parts; I realized there were some connections between food and the material we were studying. I was immediately shot down by the seriousness of the conversations. I am, however, still very hungry for potato salad which is far too many points for this somewhat fluffy person to eat. Somehow this came up in one of the conversations. Okay, okay so I am a bit food sensitive! Well, maybe just hungry for whatever I want and can’t have enough of…for example, everything I can put into my mouth and chew (not to mention swallow).
Our next module was teaching online and here is where some very serious thinking on my part began. One of the major questions I am still asking is how you know your students understand the course concepts and can apply them? How do you build or design a course that will help them, and you, determine if the lesson was learned? Even though I have read much of the course readings and the Diigo entries, I am still struggling with these two questions. I am hoping as we work through the material and discussions this will become clearer. I have considered the metaphors of what a teacher is. For example, I see teaching an online course as a form of magic, where I am the magician helping students learn to work their own magic. I see myself in a variety of mentioned roles: motivator; facilitator; instructor; genie etc.; and/or I will be wearing many hats to design and teach online.
Finally, we addressed the question of online presence. Even though I have written a blog regarding the dangers of employers reading what you have written online, I still believe in people and the hiring entities that will someday decide to hire me or not. Therefore, I am not really concerned with an online presence and have not disguised myself with a different name or identity. I don’t believe criminals or terrorists or potential employers are out to do me wrong. I stopped being paranoid when I got out of the law enforcement field. As for someone stealing my identity…that would be interesting. I think they would prefer someone with more credit than I have at this time in my life. Someone younger might do it for them as well.
In conclusion it was stated that the colleges and universities are discriminating without consequence against older workers who seek to teach online. Now there is a thought to ponder. I suppose my first question is what else is new? Employers have been doing this without consequence for some time. However, I believe this practice, so widely held, will end up being counterproductive. Since the state budget cuts, colleges are trimming the fat from their budgets and part time faculty without benefits will make up even larger percentages of the instructors at these colleges and universities. Most young people starting out cannot afford to work for these low wages.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Reflections on the New Course and Old Blogs
January 6th, 2011 found me in a classroom with fellow students and the instructor in a new course. My first thought, after hearing the introductions, was these people are well beyond where I am at, when it came to their professional backgrounds. Then it hit me that they were there to learn what they did not know, just like I was. Designing curriculum for online classes takes a lot of thought and guidance. Even if you may have taught for some time, teaching online is a new and highly technological experience.
Once I started reading the material in the LMS, I was faced with questions similar to the following: what constitutes a good instructor, teacher or facilitator online? How is online teaching different then face-to-face teaching in a real classroom vs. a virtual classroom? How does one design the curriculum to engage the students; and will they take away the knowledge and skills the course was designed to give them? What technology will be used in the classes and is it the most effective means of gathering information for the creation of class projects and for use beyond the classroom? Will the technology chosen help students interrelate to others on a higher academic level and will it stimulate critical thinking by the students? I suspect it will take the whole course to come to conclusions regarding these and many more questions.
Reflecting on the blogs I have made regarding: free speech (and or expression) online or off, domestic violence, parental alienation and grandparent rights, one can ask…why this is important and how does it relate to the ongoing learning process of eLearning? Or, for example, why would anyone watch, “Girls Gone Wild” or work as a volunteer in a program for survivors of domestic violence? I think understanding students and their behaviors and comprehending what students want from their classes is an essential part of being a facilitator or instructor. I think one of the questions I have asked myself is why educated college co-eds find it so exciting to be considered the most beautiful girl in America and allow her body parts to be flashed to others, photographed naked or near naked in poses of a suggestive nature. I want to know what is in her head. I want to know what motivates her or her male viewers (I might have a better handle on that question). I have asked myself how I would reach this student academically. I think it is just as important to understand how these young co-eds came to participate in these activities during Spring break. I have quite a few questions I would like to ask them. I can see an interesting bit of research hatching on this subject, in the mind of some graduate student who wants to study this behavior.
Since we are all products of our families, communities and even larger circles of social and political bodies, it seems to me, it is important to look at the issues and problems in the family unit and in the community. Sociology was my major course of study as an under graduate and it influences the way I approach social interactions and problems. The bottom line might be what kind of morality and ethics we are imparting to our children, grandchildren and students by what we do, say and participate in or not. Equally important might be our understanding and use of technology, of which television is just one form. More importantly might be questioning how we use this technology on a daily basis for what purpose and what might we be conveying to our children, students and others by our actions, opinions and behavior.
By looking at the smallest social unit or the nuclear family, certain facts have an effect on how students learn and what difficulties they may have to overcome to learn in an eLearning environment or even in a campus classroom. Maybe this may account for some of the activities we see them engaged in during the times they are on break from their studies. Also how much does the media influence todays young adults. Maybe to successfully teach this new generation of learners we may have to put aside our biases and direct them in ways that might seem foreign to our generation.
The bottom line may be to find ways to facilitate their learning while directing them to form critical thinking patterns guided by a new standard of morality and ethics in an ever changing digital cyber and real world. Educators today are being presented with a whole new set of challenges and the so called Millennial or Digital Learners are one of the most interesting generations to work with and understand, as is Generation X.
Once I started reading the material in the LMS, I was faced with questions similar to the following: what constitutes a good instructor, teacher or facilitator online? How is online teaching different then face-to-face teaching in a real classroom vs. a virtual classroom? How does one design the curriculum to engage the students; and will they take away the knowledge and skills the course was designed to give them? What technology will be used in the classes and is it the most effective means of gathering information for the creation of class projects and for use beyond the classroom? Will the technology chosen help students interrelate to others on a higher academic level and will it stimulate critical thinking by the students? I suspect it will take the whole course to come to conclusions regarding these and many more questions.
Reflecting on the blogs I have made regarding: free speech (and or expression) online or off, domestic violence, parental alienation and grandparent rights, one can ask…why this is important and how does it relate to the ongoing learning process of eLearning? Or, for example, why would anyone watch, “Girls Gone Wild” or work as a volunteer in a program for survivors of domestic violence? I think understanding students and their behaviors and comprehending what students want from their classes is an essential part of being a facilitator or instructor. I think one of the questions I have asked myself is why educated college co-eds find it so exciting to be considered the most beautiful girl in America and allow her body parts to be flashed to others, photographed naked or near naked in poses of a suggestive nature. I want to know what is in her head. I want to know what motivates her or her male viewers (I might have a better handle on that question). I have asked myself how I would reach this student academically. I think it is just as important to understand how these young co-eds came to participate in these activities during Spring break. I have quite a few questions I would like to ask them. I can see an interesting bit of research hatching on this subject, in the mind of some graduate student who wants to study this behavior.
Since we are all products of our families, communities and even larger circles of social and political bodies, it seems to me, it is important to look at the issues and problems in the family unit and in the community. Sociology was my major course of study as an under graduate and it influences the way I approach social interactions and problems. The bottom line might be what kind of morality and ethics we are imparting to our children, grandchildren and students by what we do, say and participate in or not. Equally important might be our understanding and use of technology, of which television is just one form. More importantly might be questioning how we use this technology on a daily basis for what purpose and what might we be conveying to our children, students and others by our actions, opinions and behavior.
By looking at the smallest social unit or the nuclear family, certain facts have an effect on how students learn and what difficulties they may have to overcome to learn in an eLearning environment or even in a campus classroom. Maybe this may account for some of the activities we see them engaged in during the times they are on break from their studies. Also how much does the media influence todays young adults. Maybe to successfully teach this new generation of learners we may have to put aside our biases and direct them in ways that might seem foreign to our generation.
The bottom line may be to find ways to facilitate their learning while directing them to form critical thinking patterns guided by a new standard of morality and ethics in an ever changing digital cyber and real world. Educators today are being presented with a whole new set of challenges and the so called Millennial or Digital Learners are one of the most interesting generations to work with and understand, as is Generation X.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Holidays and Grandparenthood
This Christmas we went to see and stay with my niece and her husband who just had triple bypass surgery and is slowly recovering. It was a time of people coming in and out, opening gifts and holiday babble so steady it was hard to follow every conversation. There were little ones tearing open presents while their mothers sat down with them and examined each present with childlike glee, as if it was given to them instead of the child. There was no cat or dog left without a stocking filled with gifts. All of these scenarios were unfolding next to a glorious Christmas tree watching over the family scene, while logs burned in the fire place and the love was so real you could actually touch it. Then there was the food: roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables and salad, on Christmas eve. The Christmas ham was cooked for much of the day and was succulent and satisfying. Scalloped potatoes, salad and vegetables graced a beautifully decorated table with a small tree presiding over the corner of the dining room. Dessert, pumpkin pie, will not be mentioned! Of course it all went to my hips and thighs…sigh.
Somewhere in all this love and confusion came the moment when my niece was told she was the “world’s best grandmother;” and her husband, “the best grandfather” in the world, or at least their world. Since my family is somewhat distant and hostile, at least part of it is, this left me wondering just what I did right or maybe wrong. First of all, I never wanted to be the traditional grandmother. I wanted to define that role for myself, quite apart from what my mother and society thought it should be. I am not quite a boomer and was born pre-boomer by a few years, only. So, I have identified with them and they keep joining me (age wise) at an alarming rate. I think they too have tried to redefine grandparenthood, especially because of the changing family structures and blended families and court decisions.
I have not let my hair go gray and I keep exercising in order to remain active. I am hoping to start a career of teaching on line and I am in college to accomplish that dream. I do not dress like my mother did; nor do I think like she did, although she was a progressive thinker for her time. She flew in her seventies, dressed like women slightly younger than herself and was a pre-feminist thinker and worked until she was 69. My mother dyed her hair a respectable color until she was close to eighty and travelled by airplane or train, when she could, to meet with her grandchildren when it was too far to drive. Yes, she was a modern grandmother and redefined her role as a grandmother outside of the guidelines of her generation. She was in essence ahead of her time. As for me, I am not certain where I fit in all this.
It seems given all this history, I went wrong somewhere. Some of my grandchildren do not know me. My values clashed with the values of some of my children and sometimes society; but especially the conservative elements in the Catholic Church at that point in time. Like many grandparents today, my children punished me for all the perceived mistakes I made by keeping my grandchildren from me. There is nothing as painful as having grandchildren and not being able to have contact with them. Even worse is the punishment of having no grandparental rights. Thus some of my grandchildren may never know me and believe me to be a terrible mother and grandmother. Of course this hurts the most and it was suppose to, since it was my punishment for not conforming to their standards and ideas of what I “should be or have been.” I did not teach them this point of view.
Grandparents do not have rights and in fact unless you have a history of a relationship with your grandchildren, you are seldom allowed to override the parents’ wishes on the matter. Much of the family history dies with the grandparents and the unconditional love grandparents give are denied to many children in the United States. The courts do not recognize the rights of a grandparent; and this message is being given to thousands and thousands of younger people who must grow up never knowing them and hearing their side of the story. Sadly this position towards grandparental rights may have consequences far beyond what we understand today. This may be one of the undesirable effects of nuclear families, blended families and divorced parents and deceased parents due to war losses. The only real victims are the American children distanced from the unconditional love and care grandparents give them.
There was a fairly happy ending to my story. My ex-son-in-law gave me permission to speak with my granddaughter and grandson this year 2010. I found my granddaughter on line and even though her mother, my oldest daughter, did not want the contact she is not the custodial parent. My grandchildren’s father stated his parents rejected his children and would not see or meet with them. He wanted them to know their maternal grandmother. But most of all, my 17 year old granddaughter wanted me to get to know her and her brother, after 17 years apart. My Christmas message to all grandparents suffering the alienation of their grandchildren this Christmas is things change, so never give up! If a higher power exists, the immutable can be changed. The U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t have power over that power.
To my grandchildren who have been alienated from me, I send this message both about my love for your mother and my love for you. Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is child abuse as is grandparental alienation syndrome.
Somewhere in all this love and confusion came the moment when my niece was told she was the “world’s best grandmother;” and her husband, “the best grandfather” in the world, or at least their world. Since my family is somewhat distant and hostile, at least part of it is, this left me wondering just what I did right or maybe wrong. First of all, I never wanted to be the traditional grandmother. I wanted to define that role for myself, quite apart from what my mother and society thought it should be. I am not quite a boomer and was born pre-boomer by a few years, only. So, I have identified with them and they keep joining me (age wise) at an alarming rate. I think they too have tried to redefine grandparenthood, especially because of the changing family structures and blended families and court decisions.
I have not let my hair go gray and I keep exercising in order to remain active. I am hoping to start a career of teaching on line and I am in college to accomplish that dream. I do not dress like my mother did; nor do I think like she did, although she was a progressive thinker for her time. She flew in her seventies, dressed like women slightly younger than herself and was a pre-feminist thinker and worked until she was 69. My mother dyed her hair a respectable color until she was close to eighty and travelled by airplane or train, when she could, to meet with her grandchildren when it was too far to drive. Yes, she was a modern grandmother and redefined her role as a grandmother outside of the guidelines of her generation. She was in essence ahead of her time. As for me, I am not certain where I fit in all this.
It seems given all this history, I went wrong somewhere. Some of my grandchildren do not know me. My values clashed with the values of some of my children and sometimes society; but especially the conservative elements in the Catholic Church at that point in time. Like many grandparents today, my children punished me for all the perceived mistakes I made by keeping my grandchildren from me. There is nothing as painful as having grandchildren and not being able to have contact with them. Even worse is the punishment of having no grandparental rights. Thus some of my grandchildren may never know me and believe me to be a terrible mother and grandmother. Of course this hurts the most and it was suppose to, since it was my punishment for not conforming to their standards and ideas of what I “should be or have been.” I did not teach them this point of view.
Grandparents do not have rights and in fact unless you have a history of a relationship with your grandchildren, you are seldom allowed to override the parents’ wishes on the matter. Much of the family history dies with the grandparents and the unconditional love grandparents give are denied to many children in the United States. The courts do not recognize the rights of a grandparent; and this message is being given to thousands and thousands of younger people who must grow up never knowing them and hearing their side of the story. Sadly this position towards grandparental rights may have consequences far beyond what we understand today. This may be one of the undesirable effects of nuclear families, blended families and divorced parents and deceased parents due to war losses. The only real victims are the American children distanced from the unconditional love and care grandparents give them.
There was a fairly happy ending to my story. My ex-son-in-law gave me permission to speak with my granddaughter and grandson this year 2010. I found my granddaughter on line and even though her mother, my oldest daughter, did not want the contact she is not the custodial parent. My grandchildren’s father stated his parents rejected his children and would not see or meet with them. He wanted them to know their maternal grandmother. But most of all, my 17 year old granddaughter wanted me to get to know her and her brother, after 17 years apart. My Christmas message to all grandparents suffering the alienation of their grandchildren this Christmas is things change, so never give up! If a higher power exists, the immutable can be changed. The U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t have power over that power.
To my grandchildren who have been alienated from me, I send this message both about my love for your mother and my love for you. Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is child abuse as is grandparental alienation syndrome.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Hey! Whats the Fuss?
What is this Holiday Season really all about? Some 2000 years ago three astrology practicing Kings or wise men believed a Great King was born. A star in the sky led them to him. They believed he was a mighty King of Kings and brought rare and expensive gifts to his Mother and Father for this newborn boy. King Herod learning of this birth was so upset he had all Jewish newborn males killed to put this competition to rest, once and for all time.
A small child born where they kept animals is still remembered by Christians today. Their greatest of earthly and Heavenly Kings born in a humble place where animals grazed and shepherds watched their flocks. There was no castle, no rich robes, no royalty present, only shepherds and animals staring in awe at a small baby boy born to a young Jewish woman and her carpenter husband. So, what is all the fuss?
Let us assume that the Christians are correct and He was the promised Messiah. What exactly did He do during his short life on earth? If we believe the writings about this, He taught the fine points of His religious beliefs to others. He cured the sick and raised the dead. He was kind and gentle toward the people He encountered in need. He helped His followers or anyone who came to Him when they needed to be feed or healed. He asked his followers to do good deeds and love their brothers and sisters. He told them, when asked, that in every person rested His Father’s Kingdom. He told them that whatever they did to the least of God’s people, they did to Him. His followers likened Him to the Gentle Shepherd, protecting His sheep from the wolves and other animals of the night.
To the Jewish leadership of his time, he was a man among many men claiming to be the Messiah. He was apparently not believed; eventually he was put to death. It does not appear that he killed anyone, nor did he seem to hurt others. But his words were so powerful; the enemies he faced felt it necessary to put him to death. How tragic if he really was and is the King of Kings. What does that tell us about us?
So we ask why this innocent child made such an impression on others. If He was the King of Kings, why did He not use his power to show others who He really was? He had created the heavens and earth and could have worked wonders beyond any mankind had seen before. He did none of these things. He left it up to each of us to believe or disbelieve just who He was and why He came to us in a quiet and humble way, only to be remembered throughout these 2000+ years.
The boy grown to a man taught, healed, forgave and led a life that He asked us to emulate. I don’t think He meant for us to live in our warm houses and attend services on His Birthday in richly furnished warm churches, while others live in the cold without a home. While traditions are wonderful and the concept of Santa Claus and all the trimmings of Christmas and parties and expensive gifts give us great pleasure and joy…what does He see if He is the King of Kings? How well have we learned the lessons He taught us when children go to bed hungry and without a roof over them for the night? No matter how much we give the need is still greater and some have so much more than others. Just how uncomfortable are we willing to be so another might come in from the cold and find shelter as His mother did so many years ago? Is a place to keep animals the best we can do? Are tents enough?
Each day I work at the EDVP, I hear women with children ask for housing only to be told, “…there is no room at the Inn.” How long will we as a people believers and non-believers turn our eyes away when these cries go unanswered? Our governor in Washington has washed her hands and lamented that we must cut services to the most vulnerable of our society. Christmas eve she will be tucked in her bed, like most of us, warm, safe and waiting for our families to celebrate with us on Christmas day. Yet the needy are our family members as well. If we knew that each of them may be the King of Kings or Heavens Child or God Himself; would we still treat them this way? Would we be the ones to say, “…there is no room…” What is this Holiday really all about?
It seems to me it is about a simple word…love, followed up with another rather elusive word…peace. Can we hope to find peace if we cannot seem to fully comprehend the word love? Looking into the face of a newborn, any newborn so dependent on us, we must conclude this child may have already told us what it is all about. It is possible God came to us, to be one of us, to teach us about mankind and what we need to do to reach the goals set out for us in His teachings. Did we listen?
Now for the fun!! The digital Story of the birth of this child.
A small child born where they kept animals is still remembered by Christians today. Their greatest of earthly and Heavenly Kings born in a humble place where animals grazed and shepherds watched their flocks. There was no castle, no rich robes, no royalty present, only shepherds and animals staring in awe at a small baby boy born to a young Jewish woman and her carpenter husband. So, what is all the fuss?
Let us assume that the Christians are correct and He was the promised Messiah. What exactly did He do during his short life on earth? If we believe the writings about this, He taught the fine points of His religious beliefs to others. He cured the sick and raised the dead. He was kind and gentle toward the people He encountered in need. He helped His followers or anyone who came to Him when they needed to be feed or healed. He asked his followers to do good deeds and love their brothers and sisters. He told them, when asked, that in every person rested His Father’s Kingdom. He told them that whatever they did to the least of God’s people, they did to Him. His followers likened Him to the Gentle Shepherd, protecting His sheep from the wolves and other animals of the night.
To the Jewish leadership of his time, he was a man among many men claiming to be the Messiah. He was apparently not believed; eventually he was put to death. It does not appear that he killed anyone, nor did he seem to hurt others. But his words were so powerful; the enemies he faced felt it necessary to put him to death. How tragic if he really was and is the King of Kings. What does that tell us about us?
So we ask why this innocent child made such an impression on others. If He was the King of Kings, why did He not use his power to show others who He really was? He had created the heavens and earth and could have worked wonders beyond any mankind had seen before. He did none of these things. He left it up to each of us to believe or disbelieve just who He was and why He came to us in a quiet and humble way, only to be remembered throughout these 2000+ years.
The boy grown to a man taught, healed, forgave and led a life that He asked us to emulate. I don’t think He meant for us to live in our warm houses and attend services on His Birthday in richly furnished warm churches, while others live in the cold without a home. While traditions are wonderful and the concept of Santa Claus and all the trimmings of Christmas and parties and expensive gifts give us great pleasure and joy…what does He see if He is the King of Kings? How well have we learned the lessons He taught us when children go to bed hungry and without a roof over them for the night? No matter how much we give the need is still greater and some have so much more than others. Just how uncomfortable are we willing to be so another might come in from the cold and find shelter as His mother did so many years ago? Is a place to keep animals the best we can do? Are tents enough?
Each day I work at the EDVP, I hear women with children ask for housing only to be told, “…there is no room at the Inn.” How long will we as a people believers and non-believers turn our eyes away when these cries go unanswered? Our governor in Washington has washed her hands and lamented that we must cut services to the most vulnerable of our society. Christmas eve she will be tucked in her bed, like most of us, warm, safe and waiting for our families to celebrate with us on Christmas day. Yet the needy are our family members as well. If we knew that each of them may be the King of Kings or Heavens Child or God Himself; would we still treat them this way? Would we be the ones to say, “…there is no room…” What is this Holiday really all about?
It seems to me it is about a simple word…love, followed up with another rather elusive word…peace. Can we hope to find peace if we cannot seem to fully comprehend the word love? Looking into the face of a newborn, any newborn so dependent on us, we must conclude this child may have already told us what it is all about. It is possible God came to us, to be one of us, to teach us about mankind and what we need to do to reach the goals set out for us in His teachings. Did we listen?
Now for the fun!! The digital Story of the birth of this child.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Last Minute Thoughts and Reflections
It is the end of the quarter and this is the last blog of the course, before moving on to the Winter Quarter for Essentials of eLearning challenge. Working with Ella, Rob and Yen on the project for the course was probably the best experience I had. Ella is a lively Millennial and digital learner and is a joy to listen to and work with. She added youth, life and insight into the minds of today’s young women and I loved it! Both Yen and Rob are community college instructors and they gave me insights into what they teach and how their students react to different programs and projects within their classrooms. Also, Rob’s knowledge of video and interviews was most interesting. He made it all seem easy. Yen’s presentation in Prezi was amazing. She turned to me in the last class and said, “…you know so much.” But the truth was, as I watched what she was developing for her class, I could just simply sit there and marvel at her knowledge and abilities. So, my comment to her is, oh ditto Yen, you know so much!
As for Bob, Amy and Samantha, I never had the opportunity to work with them on a project. I regret that! Amy presented a Voice Thread to die for. I still smile when I think of her topic on the history of toilets. Her genius is quirky and fun. Bob and I connected on his classes on world music. Since I have a band and love music, I enjoyed his presentations and discussions in the class. Samantha is my special delight. She has been a follower of Florence Nightingale, one of the women I have used as a role model. Her sense of humor and insights were special. Her respect for life and willingness to help others is, as the military would say, “…above and beyond the call of duty.”
Finally, our instructors Sam and Norma worked to bring us a rich and challenging course, which was appreciated. Since this certification is new, there will be a lot of changes as time goes by and I wish I was there for all of them. The instructor and professor duo brings to mind episodes of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Okay, you say, Bellevue College is not “Paradise Island” home of the Amazon women; but with a little imagination one has to admit there is some truth in realizing an Amazon woman, in the comics and TV series as portrayed by Wonder Woman, brings hope, change and makes the United States a better place to live. Not to mention, Wonder Woman brought a strong female presence as a role model to young women of the 40s and beyond.
So Norma you can unlease your wonder woman and continue to bring us astonishing results during the program, as you have done so far. As for Steve, well maybe that was stretching it a bit...sorry Sam, no offense intended. But you have to admit Sam, you are a talented professor and it is my pleasure to call you Dr. Sam. You earned that title! As for Steve Trevor, eventually he was portrayed in some final issues as a four star general and/or Deputy Secretary of Defense. Interpretation, he became highly successful and Wonder Woman and Steve were never an item, just partners of sorts.
So, I close this chapter on my heroes ( male & female), fantasies and dreams for justice in America and American education. Yet, I do feel secure that I am getting a rock solid education from instructors like Sam and Norma, because they have allowed us creativity and independence of thought, while we engaged in eLearning. "The End" until the new season begins (tongue in cheek).
As for Bob, Amy and Samantha, I never had the opportunity to work with them on a project. I regret that! Amy presented a Voice Thread to die for. I still smile when I think of her topic on the history of toilets. Her genius is quirky and fun. Bob and I connected on his classes on world music. Since I have a band and love music, I enjoyed his presentations and discussions in the class. Samantha is my special delight. She has been a follower of Florence Nightingale, one of the women I have used as a role model. Her sense of humor and insights were special. Her respect for life and willingness to help others is, as the military would say, “…above and beyond the call of duty.”
Finally, our instructors Sam and Norma worked to bring us a rich and challenging course, which was appreciated. Since this certification is new, there will be a lot of changes as time goes by and I wish I was there for all of them. The instructor and professor duo brings to mind episodes of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Okay, you say, Bellevue College is not “Paradise Island” home of the Amazon women; but with a little imagination one has to admit there is some truth in realizing an Amazon woman, in the comics and TV series as portrayed by Wonder Woman, brings hope, change and makes the United States a better place to live. Not to mention, Wonder Woman brought a strong female presence as a role model to young women of the 40s and beyond.
So Norma you can unlease your wonder woman and continue to bring us astonishing results during the program, as you have done so far. As for Steve, well maybe that was stretching it a bit...sorry Sam, no offense intended. But you have to admit Sam, you are a talented professor and it is my pleasure to call you Dr. Sam. You earned that title! As for Steve Trevor, eventually he was portrayed in some final issues as a four star general and/or Deputy Secretary of Defense. Interpretation, he became highly successful and Wonder Woman and Steve were never an item, just partners of sorts.
So, I close this chapter on my heroes ( male & female), fantasies and dreams for justice in America and American education. Yet, I do feel secure that I am getting a rock solid education from instructors like Sam and Norma, because they have allowed us creativity and independence of thought, while we engaged in eLearning. "The End" until the new season begins (tongue in cheek).
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Learning in the Introduction to eLearning Course and Next Steps
It was a long road to the end of this quarter. I am still struggling to complete the tasks and wrap up all the loose ends. We had our last course session on Tuesday. I had worked to place a power point presentation within Elluminate and create a Wiki, since I do not have access to a LMS application. Learning all of these technologies was easy until it came time to present it. Of course nothing worked like it should have and I have had to redo everything I did for the presentation. I am including the presentation for your viewing. There is no audio.
We are supposed to create an eportfolio using our blog. However, I found an eportfolio site on Google and used it because it had more space. Unfortunately it did not allow me to embed the sites or if it did I still have not figured out how to do it. I will present that site in my next blog. It is going to take some doing to get it done and completed in time for our deadline of December 8, 2010.
One of the technologies I hope to introduce students to use is the Glogster application. It is easy to use and for those students who hate to blog, it is a perfect way to display what they have learned and would like to present to the class on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. I am entering my Glogster presentation for you to view. It is on the topic of Aging in America. The You Tube video was done most probably by a student who used some rather interesting words to describe discrimination and may have fallen victim to the concept himself.
Well it is obvious I like pressure, pain and the Joys of eLearning because I have registered for the next course the” Essentials of eLearning.” The course explains that it is for instructors or students who want to learn how to teach on line exclusively or in a blended environment. We were introduced to the instructor Jennifer D on the section in this course devoted to Personal Learning and Networking Environments. She is a knowledgeable woman; and I cannot wait to see what challenges she will present in this course. I have purchased and received one of the two course texts and suddenly realized I had no idea what they are about. I am not certain if they are even written in English! Okay, I am a bit nervous blended with excitement and resignation.
The motivation for all of this eLearning is my desire to teach. I simply could not face teaching in a University when I left the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It seemed like the most boring thing to do on the face of the earth. My advisor at the University of Utah, to this day, feels like the emphasis on publishing is the most important requirement and the excellence of teaching means little or nothing to the University system. Quite the opposite is true in a college environment, where teaching is the main focus. So, I have packed my tools into my virtual briefcase and set out on this journey with hope and determination. As I am looking from side to side, I do not see many of my classmates in this course walking in the same direction…am I going down the wrong path? I don’t think so!
Our Group Presentation on Creative Commons and Licenses:
We are supposed to create an eportfolio using our blog. However, I found an eportfolio site on Google and used it because it had more space. Unfortunately it did not allow me to embed the sites or if it did I still have not figured out how to do it. I will present that site in my next blog. It is going to take some doing to get it done and completed in time for our deadline of December 8, 2010.
One of the technologies I hope to introduce students to use is the Glogster application. It is easy to use and for those students who hate to blog, it is a perfect way to display what they have learned and would like to present to the class on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. I am entering my Glogster presentation for you to view. It is on the topic of Aging in America. The You Tube video was done most probably by a student who used some rather interesting words to describe discrimination and may have fallen victim to the concept himself.
Well it is obvious I like pressure, pain and the Joys of eLearning because I have registered for the next course the” Essentials of eLearning.” The course explains that it is for instructors or students who want to learn how to teach on line exclusively or in a blended environment. We were introduced to the instructor Jennifer D on the section in this course devoted to Personal Learning and Networking Environments. She is a knowledgeable woman; and I cannot wait to see what challenges she will present in this course. I have purchased and received one of the two course texts and suddenly realized I had no idea what they are about. I am not certain if they are even written in English! Okay, I am a bit nervous blended with excitement and resignation.
The motivation for all of this eLearning is my desire to teach. I simply could not face teaching in a University when I left the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It seemed like the most boring thing to do on the face of the earth. My advisor at the University of Utah, to this day, feels like the emphasis on publishing is the most important requirement and the excellence of teaching means little or nothing to the University system. Quite the opposite is true in a college environment, where teaching is the main focus. So, I have packed my tools into my virtual briefcase and set out on this journey with hope and determination. As I am looking from side to side, I do not see many of my classmates in this course walking in the same direction…am I going down the wrong path? I don’t think so!
Our Group Presentation on Creative Commons and Licenses:
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Creating a Small Focused Learning Module
What a challenge this week was. I was the one praying for the ice and snow. As a result, I had the whole week off to create my presentation. The first thing I had to do was to decide on a topic. I had one for an earlier module; but I decided it would not lend itself to the module I was creating. The course I have begun to create is called, New Ideas Regarding: Aging and Retirement in America. Since I did not have access to a Learning Management System, I had to think how I could present this course without one. It started out as a Microsoft document. After emailing Sam, it quickly turned into a Power Point presentation. I have never used Power Point before! Sam…how you have challenged me, I am absolutely certain I will be divorced by the time this course is over…okay not really. But I know I am aging faster than I was before this course. I think my intimate other has heard some interesting and creative combinations of obscenities this week.Once I moved the text from a Word document to a Power Point, I had to search for the video and blogs, etc, to present in the module. I knew the module would need an introduction to the course Module. So, after driving Norma crazy with my emails, while her power was out during the “Deep Freeze,” I realized I would need to somehow get this presentation on Elluminate. While I was at my niece’s house trying to enjoy Thanksgiving, my mind was on how to get an Elluminate session I could use to put my presentation on. While everyone else in the house was fast asleep, I was on the computer reading about Elluminate and how to work it. Their cat, barred from entering our sleeping area, sat in the door frame first thing the next morning while I was on the computer turning his head from side to side and slyly looking at me like I had lost my mind. I suddenly remembered why I wasn’t fond of cats.
On Friday, after the cat let me know what he thought of me, I knew I had to get home to write all this up and place it into Elluminate. Even though my niece’s ex-husband was a WA State Trooper, I made it home in record time…under an hour from Bonney Lake to Redmond never once realizing I was probably driving above the required speed limit on the interstate. Taking the time to warm our house from 55 degrees to 68, I sat down at the computer and read Rob’s entries into Wiki Space on our discussion page.
Thinking to myself, if he can do this, I can…I set out to put my course information into the Wiki. To my dismay, I actually accomplished that task and managed to get one usable recorded session in Elluminate, after five tries. Then, looking into my course mail, I saw Sam was setting up a session in something called dimdim for those of us who might have questions on this assignment or were a little dimdim, which I was. After it was over, I was very glad that dimdim helped this dumdum finish with her entries into Wiki and Elluminate.
After 6 hours of sleep last night…I hope to get some down time and rest this evening and make amends to my husband for teaching him words no self-respecting person should use and for being somewhere else during Thanksgiving. Now all I have left to do this week, since somehow I managed to clean my house, is figure out a way to get rid of all this turkey and pumpkin pie inside me that seems to be sliding slowly toward my tummy and thighs. They say eating is a way one comforts oneself. I can attest to that!
Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.
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