Distance Education

Identify and briefly discuss 5 advantages of distance education.

A major pro for distance education is convenience and flexibility. It is so much easier being able to take a class online rather than trying to figure out how it will to fit into your schedule. You can decide when you work on your assignment in regards to when it is due. Another pro is accessibility. Students are able to work on their assignments and readings wherever a computer is present. Distance education is also better for some learners. They are able to see through visual cues or are introverted. They can take time to complete assignments and learn on their own. Another pro I noticed was the cost. Cost of online courses seems to be cheaper and you do not have to worry about the cost of food or housing (depending on if its college). Distance education is very self-directed and students are able to set their own pace and schedule which works well for many.

Identify and briefly discuss 5 disadvantages of distance education.

A con of distance education is that there is no instructor face-to-face time. Sometimes students work better when they are able to see the instructor in person and form a relationship with them. They are able to better communicate their questions or concerns face-to-face. Along with this, there is no social interaction with peers. There can be online discussion boards, but there is never actually social interaction and working with others. Another con can be the use of technology. Sometimes there are glitches in technology as well as some people just are not technological savvy. It would be hard for these individuals to figure out how the class operates. There is also little support for students. Of course you can ask questions over the internet to the teacher, but for the most part students are on their own to figure out their resources needed to complete assignments. There is also no campus atmosphere. Whether it is an elementary school or college, students are not able to get the feel of the environment and atmosphere of school.

How you would determine the readiness of students to participate in distance education?

In order to determine the readiness of students to participate in distance education is important. It is important to know if the mature and self-disciplined. I think it’s important to seek the student’s goals and why they want to participate in distance education. If they only want to because they think it will be easy and they won’t have to attend class than that is not a reason. They also need to have good work habits and be able to work independently. Students need to know what is expected and know that they need to self-sufficient to get their work done. They also need to feel comfortable and confident with technology. Students that do not like working with computers or simply do not feel comfortable would not be good candidates for distance education.

What would you need to do to be ready to teach in an online environment?

In order to be ready to teach in an online environment the first most important quality to have is the ability and knowledge to work with technology. You must be extremely comfortable and confident with how to operate technology. You also must know how to communicate with your students through technology and make yourself available. Teaching online courses requires a lot of time and commitment so it is important that you are ready to take on the responsibility for it. It is also important that you make assignments lengthy and in depth enough to challenge the process of students minds. Being an online educator requires a lot of time and responsibility that one needs to be educated on before pursuing.

Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activies

1.Post your 2-3 paragraph summary of the 3-5 ideas you explored for how you could use Concept Mapping within your future classroom. Give your specific examples.

There are many ways as a future teacher that you could use concept mapping in your classroom. One way that concept maps are useful is that they encourage understanding of subjects and topics by helping students organize information. Concept maps can be of all subjects and topics and allow students to explore the various routes. As a future teacher it is important to incorporate as many different visuals as possible. Concept maps provide a way of writing information and seeing it in an organized fashion while also using understanding of the information. I could use concept maps for different stories we’ve read, science projects, history data, etc.
Another way I could use concept mapping in my future classroom is for assessment. Concept maps show what student’s are processing and how they understand the information. Student’s have to put the information into their own words which makes them stop and think about the information given. Teachers can look at concept mapping to see what student’s are grasping or what they are confused by. It is important as teachers to incorporate as many assessments as possible in a classroom and concept maps are another way to see how students are progressing in their knowledge.
Concept maps can also be used in a classroom for displays. Concept maps show all the necessary information while also being very organized and simple. I could use concept maps as projects for students to then display in my classroom so students do not forget the information. They are a great way of incorporating different subjects and topics which can be used for later information as well. Students can look at concept maps in classrooms and be able to interpret and understand the information. By keeping them on display it allows students to see information in a creative new way.

2. Discuss what you see as the impact of the use of Concept mapping might have on student learning within your future classroom. Give some details to support your statements.

Concept mapping could have many impacts on student learning within my future classroom. It can provide students with a new way to look at information and bind information together. It allows them to explore on their own how things are connected and they are able to learn and see information in a different way. Concept mapping is a great for visual learners to see the links between subjects/topics. Concept mapping is also a great way to get students involved. They are able to create something of their own with in a subject/topic area. Teachers can then assess student's knowledge.

3. Discuss at least 2 criteria that you would use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be part of a lesson for your students.

A criteria I would use to decide whether or not concept mapping activities would be part of a lesson with my students would be to see whether I have taught enough information to create a concept map. Concept mapping can be very detailed and I would want my students to feel confident with how information is connected. Another criteria I would use is if the subject/topic would be appropriate for using a concept map. Since concept mapping requires many different parts, it would be necessary that the subject/topic can explore many different areas.

Reflections on Using TeacherWeb

1. Describe at least 2 ways that the use of a class web site like TeacherWeb could be used to support your future teaching. Provide some specific details for each example.

A class website such as TeacherWeb could be used in numerous ways to support my future teaching. The class handout section on my TeacherWeb site would be extremely beneficial due to the fact children are always losing and misplacing papers. This would ensure students could always have access to these handouts/homework. Another section that would be extremely beneficial is the activities students can partake in from websites that I posted on the TeacherWeb. Parents can use these websites to engage in learning with their children at home. Sometimes parents are unsure of what they can do or what websites are useful so therefore this area in my TeacherWeb would guide them in their child's learning outside of the classroom as well as inside. TeacherWeb is an fabulous resource for myself as well because it allows me to see class grades and also keep reminders on it. I can use this website instead of handouts to post my thoughts, communicate, and engage with students and parents. I can also use this website to explore different teaching methods and activities for students.

2. Identify 2 ways students could use a class web site like TeacherWeb to enhance their learning.

Provide some details for each way identified.
Students learning can be enhanced by class websites like TeacherWeb. As previously mentioned, they can use the website to explore different activities that I have posted. Activities include math problems, puzzles, science topics, writing tips/workshops, etc. Students are able to easily access the websites and can explore them. They can also use the review quizzes and project reflections to think about what we have been learning. The review quizzes would be great for students before a test or even to just ensure that students are gaining knowledge on the topic/subject being taught. The internet is something fun and exciting for students so they would be more apt to getting on the internet to complete something than simply a piece of paper.

Blogs and Wikis in Education Project

Finally, on your blog create a post and title it “Blogs and Wikis in Education” and respond to the issues listed below. Your blog post should be at least a paragraph of text in response to each of these three statements


1) Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.

Blogs and/or wikis are being used for many different reasons. They are being used in K-12 classrooms for teachers to communicate with parents. It is very difficult sometimes to have young children especially be responsible for telling their parents about important events or homework. It is difficult for them to remember to give their parents a hand out about important reminders as well. Blogs and/or wikis can be very beneficial in communicating with the parents about homework assignments, important events, and reminders etc. Another way blogs and/or wikis can be used in k-12 classrooms are they can be used for students to post their ideas on certain subjects such a book, a class activity, etc. it always students to express their feelings with a creative way of incorporating technology. Blog and/or wiki's can also be used for students to simply communicate with one another. They can post comments to one another about class assignments or their feelings towards a learning assignment. By looking at what other children are writing one can get a feel of what others feel while also expressing their own feelings and attitudes. Blogs and/or wikis were also used for school wide news which I thought was a good way for the school to use a resource that didn't involve paper.



2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.

One might use RSS/aggregators within a classroom setting to pull information from different areas to provide an overall view of a subject. This may be beneficial to a classroom because you can take a news feed and pull information from different areas to show students. This can provide students with seeing new information from various areas without printing out numerous sheets of paper. On one subject you can pull up numerous stories so that students can read about the subject in different aspects. Along with a bookmark, it provides students and teacher with new information that comes along. It collects all data and provides it on one page. By being on a blog/wiki RSS/aggregators can provide students/teachers with information all on one page as opposed to receiving numerous emails.

3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.


A pro for wikis and blogs in education are that create enthusiasm for writing for students. Instead of just writing on paper and doing the "normal" daily routines students can express technology and be excited about writing and communicating with their peers and teacher. Another pro of blogs and wikis in education is that they help students find their own individual self or voice. Since blogs and wikis can be used like journals, students are allowed to express themselves. They can help students open up and be excited about learning and communicating. A con of using wikis and blogs are that not every child has access to a computer at their home which may make this child feel unaccepted or under privledged. It also would not allow them to participate with the assignment or in discussions. They would therefore not be able to finish what the other students do and will feel left out. Wikis and blogs can also take away from traditional paper/pencil tasks and children may only feel that they want to do these on the computer/internet. Children and students still need to feel excited about learning when technology is not involved as well.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

MI Blog Post Project
For the MI Blog Post project, you will create a new post on your blog site and title it “Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom”. Then, within this blog post, discuss your new knowledge and relate it to the following 5 issues:

Discuss which of the multiple intelligences you have strengths in and then discuss some of the core characteristics of that (or those) intelligences. Discuss which of the core characteristics best describe you and your learning style.

The multiple intelligences I have strengths in are intrapersonal, musical, and naturalistic. Some of the core characteristics for intrapersonal is affective awareness which means I acknowledge the feelings, attitudes, and outlooks of myself. I also portray ethical awareness which is the setting of my principles and moral priorities. Some core characteristics of the multiple intelligence of musical is that I use audiation which means I think musically rather than verbally. I also use resonance which means I identify with patterns as an expression of experience. Lastly, some core charctericis of naturalistic is that I am natural and attribute oriented. This means I use identification with living organisms and their environment and I also find common traits among items. Out of these core characteristics I think the best one that describes me and my learning style is being intrapersonal by using my affective awareness and ethical awareness. I tend to be very independent and use my goals in order to help me learn. I have always been very self-sufficient and enjoy doing projects/homework alone. I know what my expectations are and I do my best to full fill them.


Discuss what students with this type of intelligence enjoy, are like, or tend to do within classroom settings.

The type of students with an intrapersonal intelligence communicate their feelings and express their likes or dislikes about particular activities. They are comfortable with themselves and have an own sense of their strengths and weaknesses. Intrapersonals follow their instincts, make appropriate choices, and express a sense of justice and fairness. In a classroom they set goals for themselves and want opportunities for student reflection. They use analogies in making connections and want activities that offer learner choices.


Discuss how you will support this type of intelligence within your classroom and within your teaching.

By learning of intrapersonal intelligence I can support this intelligence within my classroom by providing activities that offer student choices and by providing students to express their feelings on particular topics. I can also include student self-assessment in classroom assessment strategies. Having students set goals for themselves in the classroom and including daily journal writing in my classroom routine will help intrapersonal intelligence learners because they tend to focus on their dreams, goals, and feelings.


Discuss what technologies stimulate this type of intelligence.

Technologies that stimulate the intrapersonal intelligence are things such as journals, diaries, and self assessments so that the students are able to communicate and express their feelings. Other types of technologies can be things such as class discussions and real time projects so that students can also engage to one another their input and use their mind. Online surverys and forms are another technology that would stimulate the mind of intrapersonal intelligence learners.


And finally, discuss how you might impact student learning by applying your understanding of learning styles and multiple intelligences within your classroom.

By looking at each and every intelligence it is important to integrate all learning styles into my teaching in the classroom. I think it is extremly important to review each and every intelligence because all teachers are going to have students fall into each category. The way I learned as a child and still learn today will not be the same as every child I teach so I need to learn of all the ways I can incorporate each and every intelligence so that every student can learn to their best ability. I need to incorporate a variety of activities and technologies for students in the classroom so they can all choose what works best for them. It also gets them exposed to different intelligences and learning styles so that they are able to broaden their horizons and learn in multiple ways. It is crucial for students to be able to learn in an environment where they feel comfortable and able to succeed.

Learning Styles Project-Liz Beseda

a) Identifies the learning style instrument, what the instrument measures, and the URL you used to access it
The learning style instrument I used was the perceptual concept which measures the hemispheric dominance. The URL I used was
http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

b) Provides a description of what your results from the instrument were and what you have “learned” about your learning style from completing this assessment

My results showed that I am left brain dominant. Some of the cognitive processes I exhibit are that I tend to be verbal-I process thoughts and ideas through words. I also am reality-based which means I process information based on reality and focus on rules and regulations. I also am logical, symbolic, sequential, and linear in my cognitive processes. I have learned that if I focus more on how I learn best than I can use this information to be more efficient in less time. I can consider the ways in which I can study best as well and adjust myself to ways I can learn better. I can also use this test to try and strengthen my less dominate side of the brain, my right side.


c) Provides a description of how you would incorporate this understanding about your learning style into your future teaching and lesson plan development.

These results can help me understand the importance and meaning of incorporating both brain dominances so that each child can learn to their best ability. As a future teacher it is extremly important and crucial for me to use all aspects of cognitive approaches so that my students can enhance their knowledge. Students at a young age are especially bound to choose one way of learning they like best so by incorporating all learning styles each individual can prosper. For example this would mean incorporating verbal vs nonverbal teaching and symbolic vs concrete teaching for students.

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