We were fortunate enough to have Carrie and Rachel as guest speakers in our class. It was an unconventional session because it was virtual. I thought it was interesting because not only did they tell us about their experience in Michigan Virtual Schools (MVS), but also gave us insight on the tools and strategies they use to teach virtually.
Before this session, I was not even aware of virtual academies. I now see that it is a real possibility for students, especially for students who are naturally self-motivated. It is a necessary option for students who may have unusual situations. The guest speakers touched on a lot of issues that affect students that attend a virtual academy such as MVS. In particular the speakers mentioned that, for students to succeed they must be naturally motivated to do well because they have to stay on track with the lessons. This needs motivation because the lessons are all recorded, and it's easy to say that they will watch them later. But as someone who has tried to take classes online, I have first-hand experience in saying that I will watch the lesson later, only to find myself very behind on the material. In addition, because the students are at home, their families might take advantage of their availability and expect them to do errands, or take care of other family members while they are at home. However, students will need their family's support to succeed.
Rachel and Carrie were able to show us some example of strategies they use when teaching. Namely, they showed some of the ins and outs of Black Board. This tool to host webinars have a multitude of useful features. I especially like the private break out rooms and the polling features. Students can be assigned into break out rooms to have a private discussion to "think-pair-share", or to allow groups of students to work together at the same time. A teacher can also put a student in a private room to speak to them privately if needed. The polling feature allows a teacher to do a quick real time check-in or to vote options. Furthermore, as a moderator the teacher has many features for class management and to facilitate class logistics. Some of these features include having a timer, be able to bring people out of break rooms, and restrict audio and video, Students are able to raise their hand to ask questions, choose emoticons to convey opinions, and submit answers through polls.
Right now, I don't know what my job will be like in the future. So I don't know what technology resources I will have access to, or what circumstances will arise. I don't know if I will ever need to host a webinar, but if I do I feel much more prepared. Knowing how to host a webinar is definitely something I am glad to have in my tool box in case I ever need it.
Tahni,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your reflection. I attended a webinar once for a SOE info session but I never would have imagined that webinars could be used as a replacement for school. At first I didn't understand reasons as to why a child wouldn't enroll in a regular classroom but they pointed out that sick students need to learn and this provides them with that opportunity. I have never taken a web based class before but I can understand your point that it can get out off hand when a students procrastinates. I also really liked the point you made about parents taking advantage of their child's availability. I think my mom would make me clean and cook with her all day long if I was not going to school.
I have never investigated virtual schools and I think it is a great field. Personally, I probably wouldn't do it because I crave personal interactions with students. I really liked that the academy Carrie and Rachael worked at counted as a school that abided by the Woodrow Wilson/Noyce guidelines.
I also liked the various tools on the webinar such as polling, raising hands, and taking quiz's. I am trying to learn how to use these tools as I create my webinar now and I have to say they executed the session smoothly. I think learning all these features takes a lot of practice and patience!
really enjoyed your response,
sara
Like Sara, I agree that you raise a good point about facilitating procrastination. As an undergrad, I remember a classmate of mine who never showed up for lectures, reasoning he could just study from the textbook... and he ended up missing a midterm because he hadn't attended class for weeks, so he didn't know about it. On the one hand, having the lectures posted online means that students at least have access to what they've missed. On the other hand, by taking away the fear of missing something crucial, it could let procrastination slide until it's a really huge problem.
ReplyDeleteYou raise another good point that teachers can open up break-out rooms so students can think-pair-share, or so the teacher can talk privately with a student. After having given a webinar myself, I would say the teacher has to have a really good handle on teaching by webinar to do so. I'm completely impressed with what Carrie and Rachel did, because when I gave my webinar, I found that I could lecture, or I could respond to the chat, but not both at once. Without my two co-teachers, I could imagine complete chaos ensuing. Yet teachers like Rachel and Carrie have to address their students privately and nip shenanigans in the bud, and teach the whole class at the same time, without a helper.
Do you suppose it's something that gets easier with time? What was your experience when you webinarred last week?
Naomi,
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point, I haven't even thought of that! I do believe it will get better with time. Just like any skill, I believe you need to practice, and I doubt Carrie and Rachel were this good when they first started. I don't know if you noticed, but they had a QA session at the end just to answer questions, where as during the webinar itself, one of them was presenting while the other answered questions. So I don't think we'll ever be able to present and answer questions in the comment section. I believe that you would just have to find a way to structure the class such that allows you to present the material, and also answer questions. For example, maybe you have students asking questions as you're teaching, but then as you're teaching, you design regular stopping points where you answer these questions and check for understanding. So you might not answer the questions immediately, but soon enough that the question is still relevant. And who knows, with experience, I'm sure a teacher would try several things and figure out what works best with each batch of students.
Tahani,
ReplyDeleteLike you, before the presentation from Carrie and Rachel, I was not aware that online academies existed! I was aware that one of my cousins was participating in an online school for high school students, but I was under the misapprehension that she was simply listening to recordings and taking online quizzes. In high school, this was my experience with computer-based learning, and I found it to be entirely ineffective. We were able to skip through the lessons to the quizzes, and retake the quiz as many times as necessary to pass and move on. The type of online academy presented by Carrie and Rachel, however was much more interactive and gives the student some accountability to someone. In an online course where there is no teacher, accountability is almost nonexistent. I see what you are saying as well about students needing to be more motivated to participate in online academies. I know myself, and I do not think the online environment would work for me because, as you mentioned I would procrastinate listening to lectures or doing assignments. However, Carrie and Rachel did provide a wealth of information and ideas on how to effectively use webinars to teach, and were also honest about the drawbacks of this type of teaching.