Will Online Learning Replace the Classroom?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/avi-yashchin/will-online-learning-repl_b_4935348.html

Section 1: The Benefits of Online Learning

It is no secret that the classroom is a place to learn. But what happens when online learning becomes a big part in the classroom? There are benefits that comes with online learning, such as, affordability, convenience, accessibility, customization, and preparation. This article provides the ways that students benefit from the use on online learning. It explains in depth each of the benefits to give a better understanding to online learning.

"Allowing students to take courses on their own time, at their own pace, online learning systems are far more convenient than their in-person counterparts. Forums and online communities built around courses add to the usability of these distance education programs." Giving students time to work at their own pace with benefit their grades in the long run. The reason why it is important to look at online learning is because of the students. The students will able to work at their own pace and be able to better their learning. The most important thing is the students. As teachers that is our main focus. 

For example,"Internet-based platforms have empowered us to replace or remotely facilitate many historically interactive processes — like shopping, dating and banking. Attaining an education might be the next frontier for web-based expediency." There are many things that online learning can promote, like the interactive processes. The Internet is a powerful tool, which the students need to be aware of. 

What we can takeaway as educators is that there are many benefits that online learning can offer students. Students can access the work that is done in class and work at their own pace. As educators, we need to look for different things that will benefit our students' learning, which online education is a good option. 

Section 2: Traditionalists vs. Innovators

Are you the type of person that uses technology to communicate with others or do you communicate face-to-face? 

When is it okay to be a traditionalist or an innovator? The answer is there needs to be a mix in the classroom. Students need to explore new ideas to help their learning progress. This article also provides the different ways to help students mature in their learning to help them be successful in their futures. 

"Schools have always been centers for both innovation and tradition. Educational delivery is most likely to blend both in-person and online learning, but ultimately it is up to the success of the innovators and the preferences of young learners as they mature into college students, job-seekers and professionals."

For example, “The lessons from any number of industries teach us that those that truly innovate — fundamentally transforming the model, instead of just incorporating the technology into established methods of operation — will have the final say.” This shows us that there is more than just incorporating technology into methods. 

We can takeaway that success of the innovators and the preferences of young learners as they mature into college students, job-seekers and professionals is because of educational delivery. As educators we need to have our students' best interests at heart. 

In conclusion, this article provides the benefits of online technology and what it can offer to the classroom. The main thing is that teachers need to focus on the students' learning to help them better their learning!

Emerging Technologies

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1RGhe_PmXtwX3JXUVBVbVUxLWc/view
Development #1: Robotics_________________________

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   Record two interesting quotations from this section:

• Robotics is also increasing access to education for students who are homebound or live in rural communities.

• Another area where robotics has demonstrated success is administering special education, specifically for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

 Write a complete paragraph that highlights the insights and implications to your practice.

The use of robotics is an interesting topic. In my practice, I would love to have robotics to help the students in my class who need extra help. Robotics is a great way to get students engaged and encourage them to invent and prototype. In addition to engaging with robots, children are learning vital computer science skills as they program them. The students would be learning the STEM curriculum, which will better their learning for their futures. I think that it is crucial that students know how to work a computer correctly. “Governments around the world are devising STEM education strategies that prioritize the inclusion of robots and robotics activities,” what is a better way to teach students about robotics then in the classroom! I would also use the robotics to help students catch up on work that they missed in school because they were sick. This is a tool that I would love to have in the classroom when I teach my students.   

Development #2: Wearable Technology_________________________

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Record two interesting quotations from this section:

• Wearable technologies help users adjust their behaviors to achieve goals. The quantified self movement has led to a number of applications aimed at improving health and performance.

• Many leaders have recognized that wearable technologies and the maker movement provide a gateway to increase girls’ interest in STEM disciplines.

 Write a complete paragraph that highlights the insights and implications to your practice.

I think that having wearable technology is a great way to help students set goals in the classroom. I would use wearable technology in the classroom to teach the STEM curriculum. I think that it is a great way students to interact with the technology and be able to set goals for themselves. There is little movement in the classroom, but if the students set the goals, as a teacher, I would try to help them achieve those goals and have more movement in the classroom. Another interesting fact is that wearable technology helps, “Educators to harness the networked power of wearables to teach students about their role in the global community.” It is important to teach students their role in the world so they can do their best to fulfill that role.   

Flipped Classrooms

1.      Title of Article: The Flipped Class: Myths vs. Reality

2.     Link to Article: http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-flipped-class-conversation-689.php

As I read through this article, I found a lot of interesting facts which made me understand the true meaning of a flipped classroom. I heard of the term flipped classroom before, but I did not know what it was supposed to look like. One thing that I discovered when reading this article was that the traditional definition of a flipped class is: “Where videos take the place of direct instruction. This then allows students to get individual time in class to work with their teacher on key learning activities. It is called the flipped class because what used to be classwork (the "lecture" is done at home via teacher-created videos and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class.” I liked that this article gave me the definition of a flipped classroom because it gave me a better understanding of what is expected for students. Another thing that I discovered was that a flipped classroom is not “students working without structure, spending the entire class staring at a computer screen, or working in isolation.” I am happy that I  discovered that statement because I can focus on making sure students work together and I work with students throughout the whole class. A third thing that I discovered was “a classroom is where the teacher is not the ‘sage on the stage’, but the ‘guide on the side’.” I like that I read this line because it helps me make sure that I am guiding the students through the lesson. Students need guidance and I will be there to give it to them.

I also found two interesting facts in the article. One was that a flipped classroom is not going to replace the teacher. The teacher is there to help the students with information, but the students take control of their learning. I think that the flipped classroom is a great way for students to learn difficult subjects, such as math and science. The second interesting fact is that a classroom where students who are absent due to illness or extra-curricular activities don't get left behind. I like the idea of having a flipped classroom for the students who miss a class. I have been absent for some classes in elementary and high school and I know how hard it is to catch up on homework, school work, etc. Having a flipped classroom is a great way to include students who are not in class, keep up with their work.

One question that I still have is: how are teachers able to keep control of the class if they are in groups and the teacher is not sure if the students are focused on their work? One of my main concerns of a flipped classroom is students getting off topic and I would not be able to gain their attention back. I want to make sure that each student has a great learning experience and each of the students gets individual attention from me if they need help in a subject area. I worry that a flipped classroom might get out of hand, especially because I am in elementary education, because the students might talk about what happened on a TV show rather than an assignment. I also worry that the students will not watch the videos assigned to them, which will later result in off topic conversions. I will have to practice the idea of a flipped classroom because I do like the idea of it. I am sure with practice, I will be able to perfect the technique.    

COPPA

Deanna Mulay

COPPA Article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/cybertruth/2013/07/01/new-coppa-rules-better-protecting-children-online-take-effect-today/2479327/

One question that I always had was: How was the Internet protected? Now that I am studying to become a teacher, I worry about protecting my students from cyberbullies, their private information being released, etc. I want to make sure that they are safe online and their information will be secure. 1) I also had another question that came up when I was reading the article was: What made the new Rule come into play if the Internet already had some protection (How unsafe was the Internet before this new rule)? Though this article is a few years old, since it was written in 2013, I still think that it is good to read up on some of the details that this law covers. One of the rules that this law has is that a parent must give consent for a child who is under the age of 13 to go on an operator of a website and give personal information. When a child is putting their information into a computer, the new rule states that the child’s information must be stored securely. 2) In my opinion, I think that having these new rules are a great thing to have. Having a child’s information taken is the worst thing that could happen. The Internet is a scary place to store information, but if the new rules of COPPA protect the students then I feel some sense of security for their private records.

3) A connection that I thought of with this article was when I was online playing video games. I never put in my real name, I always did a username. My mom always told me to never put in information that was private in a computer because it could be hacked. I am very grateful that I listened to her because the new rule came into effect in 2013, but I was on the computer way before that year. 4) The article says, “The new Rule also makes clear that third parties, such as advertising networks, who receive personal information from sites they know are child directed must comply with COPPA, even if they have no direct user relationship with the child. Although these third parties will not have to investigate their partners' sites, the Federal Trade Commission has suggested that they will be deemed to have knowledge if one of their employees recognizes that they are receiving personal information from a child-directed site.” I think that this statement is really important because children need to be protected when they are using the Internet. Whether a child uses the computer for storing their personal information on sites like Facebook, or just playing games, they need to be protected. One way to protect the children is to have them create usernames. It is important to have laws like COPPA in the world because children need to be protected on the Internet. Hopefully one day all of the children who use the Internet can be 100% protected. 5) The importance of having COPPA in place is to insure that children are protected on the Internet and their private information is stored properly.