Recently I sat down with Tammy, Director of Teacher Training, at Fundamental Learning Center in Wichita, KS. to discuss their incorporation of distance learning as an option for teacher and parent training in a multisensory structured language program.
Tammy found that a surprising number of her students maintain blogs. This may be because they are teachers or parents with children with different needs. Although not a requirement of the course, the instructors encourage the students who do blog to post about their class experience. This was not included in the interview.
While I am appreciative of Tammy for taking the time to help me with this project, I am most thankful that my iMac, which appears to now be on its last leg, was able to hang in there until the project was complete! After losing many edits, downloading a new version of iMovie, and struggling with Quicktime locking up the virtual classroom, I was able to breathe a big sigh of relief when I finally had the video uploaded to YouTube.
While I am appreciative of Tammy for taking the time to help me with this project, I am most thankful that my iMac, which appears to now be on its last leg, was able to hang in there until the project was complete! After losing many edits, downloading a new version of iMovie, and struggling with Quicktime locking up the virtual classroom, I was able to breathe a big sigh of relief when I finally had the video uploaded to YouTube.
Oh, the joys of technology!
Robin,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all great interviews.
I loved the idea of a break-out room that students can enter for practice with access to video chat/audio. According to Saso Koceski and Natasa Koceska (2013) “Videoconferencing is considered one of the most relevant and proven distance learning technologies to stimulate collaboration between the various sites, to support and enhance student and/or staff communication, to enable flexible quality learning and accessibility, as well as to rationalize various costs.” (p 274).
I think the number one challenge for integrating any type of technology is managing the frustrations it could cause to either student and/or facilitator (the user). On a positive, technology is improving rapidly and like your interviewee discussed, with a failed system or connection the solution was quickly solved by Skype. Skype is just another example of how the advancement of technology has enriched learning or how technology solved the problem.
I also found it interesting that a number of your interviewee students maintain blogs. Relating back to my younger years, we used to write in journals or a diary. I guess now its blogs. The difference being it’s not published for the whole world to read but there are privacy settings on blogs. Is pen and paper being phased out?
Again you did a really great job with your interview and presentation,
Melinda Bennett
Koceski, S., & Koceski, N. (2013). Challenges of videoconferencing distance education - a student perspective. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 5(2) 274-281.
Thanks, Melinda. While we are just getting into the distance learning game, it certainly is a necessity for teachers with all of the education budget cuts. With a new facitlity and technology grant, we hope to really get things rolling on a bigger scale soon.
DeleteRobin,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all great interviews.
I loved the idea of a break-out room that students can enter for practice with access to video chat/audio. According to Saso Koceski and Natasa Koceska (2013) “Videoconferencing is considered one of the most relevant and proven distance learning technologies to stimulate collaboration between the various sites, to support and enhance student and/or staff communication, to enable flexible quality learning and accessibility, as well as to rationalize various costs.” (p 274).
I think the number one challenge for integrating any type of technology is managing the frustrations it could cause to either student and/or facilitator (the user). On a positive, technology is improving rapidly and like your interviewee discussed, with a failed system or connection the solution was quickly solved by Skype. Skype is just another example of how the advancement of technology has enriched learning or how technology solved the problem.
I also found it interesting that a number of your interviewee students maintain blogs. Relating back to my younger years, we used to write in journals or a diary. I guess now its blogs. The difference being it’s not published for the whole world to read but there are privacy settings on blogs. Is pen and paper being phased out?
Again you did a really great job with your interview and presentation,
Melinda Bennett
Koceski, S., & Koceski, N. (2013). Challenges of videoconferencing distance education - a student perspective. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 5(2) 274-281.
Thanks, Melinda--I appreciate the feedback!
Deleterlm
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ReplyDeleteR - excellent interview. As a former school administrator, (left that position in 2011), we were just about to implement exactly this type of virtual classroom. As a matter of fact, to be specific, when the H1N1 Flu outbreak threatened mass illness in 2007-8 in the northern U.S. my school district was located in the epicenter of the proposed outbreak area. As a district (5 schools), we implemented a new and emerging elementary school LMS that would allow os the ability to provide home bound education for students who had contracted the H1N1 virus. (The projected time of recovery at that time was 2 weeks out of school.) As you can imagine, this would put a serious dent in the educational progress for a 5th-8th grade student. As a result of solid planning, we were able to adapt the LMS from a primitive information storage facility to an LMS that allowed these 1500 students to keep up with assignments/classroom work/classroom lectures, etc, and not fall far behind. As I stated previously, the CDC suggested recovery time for this strain of influenza at that time was 2 weeks, minimum. As is always the case, the outbreak didn't hit us as hard as projected, but as a district, we were prepared.
ReplyDeleteOne issue that we faced is discussed in the Cox and King book. According to Cox and King (2011), the ability to print assignments for reference or notes was difficult with a certain LMS, and required special effort to allow students the ability to print class material (p. 117). We solved this by printing material, and sending it to ill students via the U.S. Mail service at first, until the problem could be technologically remedied.
Source
Cox, T.D. & King, K.P. (2011).The professor's guide to taming technology.Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Tony,
DeleteThat is really interesting. I remember that outbreak--I wonder if others schools were as prepared. What a great use of the technology!
Thanks for sharing:)
rlm
Great interview. I definitely agree with you and Tammy about the advantages of moving these types of training sessions to an online interactive environment rather than having to travel everywhere and do them face to face. This is one of the reasons why Zoom has become so prominently used by faculty and students at K-State. Being able to see and hear each other as well as share screens as well as record these sessions can have a big impact but also be a huge time saver.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you were able to overcome the technological difficulties! It's been a pleasure working with you over the past couple of months.
Ryan
Thanks, Ryan--best of luck to you!
Deleterlm