RSA #4--Building an Online Learning Community

RSA #4:  Building an Online Learning Community

URL: http://www.slideshare.net/janehart/building-an-online-learning-community

Wow! My Own Online Learning Community

            On slideshare.net, Jane Hart, an author, speaker and consultant on technology tools, displays her materials from the SchoolNet Conference in South Africa from July of 2011. Her presentation, entitled “Building an Online Learning Community,” begins by clearly defining what one is and then details why teachers should belong to them.  Her reasons include:  “communication conversations, collaboration, collaborative discovery, content/knowledge co-creation, and sharing” (Hart, 2011, p. 11-15). Hart also gives explicit examples of them that are found through out the World Wide Web such as Twitter, YouTube, Google Docs, Delicious and SlideShare. She divides these examples of tools into two categories—individual and organizational. Individual tools are blogs, wikis, social networking sites and social learning platforms. Organizational tools are course management tools and social and collaboration platforms. She ends the presentation with giving ten tips to starting up an online learning community.

Why should teachers use online learning communities for professional development?

The article, “Teachers making connections: Online communities as a source of professional learning ” by Jennifer Duncan-Howell examines the use of online communities as a source of professional development for teachers. The traditional methods of professional development such as workshops or conferences have not shown to be effective forms of on-going teacher training. Duncan-Howell’s study determines that teachers prefer that the location of the professional development is not at their current workplace and that it be conducted in a two to three month program. In addition, her research showed that teachers’ goals of teacher training were to transform their teaching practices and to increase student achievement. Professional development should be “practical and authentic” (Duncan-Howell, 2009, p. 338).

            The author shares several positive aspects about online learning communities.  Not only do they provide professional development, but also they allow for teachers to work together with other teachers who are not staff members at their own schools. Teachers are not alone in the learning processing; furthermore, they are surrounded by peer support and assistance. They present opportunities for discussion and analysis of material through chat rooms, email listings, blog postings. By going to these collaborative spaces, there are no time constraints for busy educators and its content upholds newness and array of content. Lastly, a teacher’s professional learning network should be organized by subject area (Duncan-Howell, 2009).

Together

Both articles examine the use online professional learning communities and encourage educators’ use of the tool for strong professional development. They both give clear and concise reasons on how they can benefit teachers. The first author gives examples, while the second author gives more research-based data to endorse the usage of them.

However, both articles fail to include an essential element of a professional learning community—trust.  Participants need to feel comfortable to share resources and knowledge. If they do not have the expertise or background in the content area, they will be hesitant in participating, and therefore the learning experience will decrease.

References

Hart, Jane. (2011). Building an online learning community (SlideShare slides). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/janehart/building-an-online-learning-community

Duncan-Howell, J. (2009). Teachers making connections: Online communities as a source of professional learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41 (2), 324-340. Retrieved from

            http://blackboard.cuchicago.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1009776-dt-content-rid-4416804_2/courses/8988.201430/EDT-6030-Online-Template_ImportedContent_20130911124320/Howell-Teachers%20Making%20Connections.pdf

RSA #3: Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities

RSA #3: Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities

URL: http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0881-sep2010/LA0881Profiles.pdf    

How Does Web 2.0 Shape Today’s Teachers and Learners?

The article from Educational Researcher “Web 2.0 and Classroom Research: What Path Should We Take Now?” begins by comparing definitions and examples Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. In the 1990’s, the use of the Internet increases and Web 1.0 was a simple platform where information was obtained and communicated. Then, Web 2.0 emerges as an interactive web experience that continues to encourage the posting, uploading and sharing of content through wikis, blog, microblogs, video hosting sites, podcasting, RRS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.  Statistics are provided to demonstrate how today’s teen students are utilizing Web 2.0 technologies and would rather use them over traditional educational tools. 

As the digital age continues to shape lives, teachers must provide their students with technological competency skills for the work force. The article discusses the learning ecology perspective and gives the example of “what children learn outside of school can shape what they learn in school as they seek out projects based on their interests” (Christine, Robelia & Hughes, 2009, p. 248). With that module in mind, educators can use Web 2.0 activities to guide that way of learning. 

The article continues with sharing how Web 2.0 tools allow for students to be “producers of knowledge” (p. 249). Students do not have to be technology experts to complete its various activities. It supports collaboration and permits sharing artifacts to the Internet world. Learners can take resources from the World Wide Web and create their own products.

The authors conclude that more research needs to be completed that will concentrate on how students use Web 2.0 in and outside of the classroom and how it will reinforce teaching methods and guidelines.  They predict that technologies such as cloud computing software and social operating systems will make their way into educational research.

What can we do with Web 2.0?

The article, “Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities”

(Kist, Doyle, Hayes, Horwitz & Kuzior, 2010) examines how primary teachers facilitate online social networking sites to increase their students’ reading and writing skills. First grade teacher Kelly Doyle uses blogging to “share ideas, stories and feelings whenever they’d like” (p. 63).  One of her writing prompts for the blog is for students to discuss the events of their weekends. She also has students writing about books read, story responses and math word problems. Second grade teacher Jeff Horwitz utilizes Twitter (www.twitter.com) to safely share student products and activities with parents and the school community.  J. T. Kuzior uses Thinkquest by Oracle Education Foundation to have students post items and also converse with them, much like Blackboard (www.blackboard.com).  The last teacher, Jody Hayes, is a fourth and fifth grade teacher who advocates the use of digital tools for the “development of authentic conversation skills” (p. 66). She achieves this goal through the use of digital tools such as blogging, Skype (www.skype.com) and Youtube (www.youtube.com).

Every teacher comments that Web 2.0 tools increase student confidence as they collaborate and communicate with others. They build literacy skills and encourage speaking with and writing to authentic audience.  They advocate for current teachers to escape from their comfort zones of traditional teaching practices and to promote using technology with their students and parents.

Both

Both articles examine the use of Web 2.0 tools to benefit the learning experience of students. The first article concentrates on more educational research and learning modules. It tells educators why to use Web 2.0 in and out of the classroom. But, the second article gives explicit literacy learning activities that use a variety of Web 2.0 programs. It makes reading and writing the focus of the lesson’s objectives and the technology the vehicle second priority for student learning.

References

Christine , G., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J. E. (2009). Web 2.0 and classroom research: What path should we take now?. Educational Researcher, 38(4), 246-259. doi: 10.3102/00131189X09336671

Kist, W., Doyle, K., Hayes , J., Horwitz, J., & Kuzior, J. T. (2010). Web 2.0 in the elementary classroom: Portraits of possibilities. Language Arts, 88(1), 62-68. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0881-sep2010/LA0881Profiles.pdf

RSA #2: Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners

RSA #2:  Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners

URL: http://ejournals.ebsco.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/Direct.asp?AccessToken=3PZMLX181L-OSQL0MPZ0STZ--0008MPSX1&Show=Object

The Type of Teacher Professional Development is the Best to Influence Student Achievement

The article “Teaching Teachers: Professional Development to Improve Student Achievement,” examines which type of professional development helps improve teacher’s instructional practice and, therefore, increase student learning.  It begins by traveling through time in the 1960’s and 1990’s and discusses how professional development has progressed.  It concludes that professional development (PD) needs to be in the curricular area that the educators teach and apply to the real-classroom setting, using curriculum standards and its materials such as assessments or tools.  It should give the teacher’s insight about how the students acquire that subject area knowledge.  Additionally, American Educational Research Association found that “professional development is likely to be more effective if it is sustained over time and involves a significant number of hours” (3).

Lastly, the article details four steps on how administration should structure the professional learning opportunities for their teachers to ensure its success.  These steps include:  assuring that PD aligns with the subject matter the teacher teaches, allowing for the PD to align with teacher’s curriculum and evaluation pieces, allocating adequate time for PD and that it is supporting students’ knowledge of the subject matter, and having evaluating systems in place to measure the effectiveness of the PD on teachers’ practice and student achievement (American Educational Research Association, 2005).

The Need for Professional Development

The article, “Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners” directly begins by providing statistics for the increasing number of United States school-aged children who are categorized English language learners (ELLs). Subsequently, more academic rigor is being added to the education of all students, including ELLs, which is adding to a great “achievement gaps across all content areas” (Lee & Buxton, 2013).  It was found that most teachers did not feel sufficiently trained to meet the needs of their students in their subject matters.

Lee and Buxton focus the next portion of the article in the core area of science.  They detail three key areas of effective practices in science instruction.  They next share how successful teachers use the five domains of language development to further support their teaching of ELL students in science.

Lastly, valuable teacher professional development needs to be broken down into the following features:  content focus, active learning and coherence.  Additionally, PD must have sufficient duration for the teacher and students.  Plus, it should have an element of collective participation and collaboration among all stakeholders.

Together

Both articles express the necessity for professional development for teaching professionals to enhance student learning.  The authors of the two articles examine the essentials of effective PD.  They concur that it needs to in the teacher’s content area with their current curriculum and materials.  However, the second piece from Lee and Buxton, delves deeper into the foundations of valuable PD such the collaboration aspect that could take place during a professional learning community.  Also, professional development can work better when teachers have the time to implement new instructional strategies and that the students have multiple years to learn them.

References

American Educational Research Association. (2005). Teaching teachers: professional development to improve student achievement. Research Points, 3(1), 1-4.

Lee, O., & Buxton, C.A. (2013). Teacher professional development to improve science and literacy achievement of English language learners.  Theory Into Practice, 52(2), 110-117.

RSA #1: Professional Learning Community in Relation to School Effectiveness

RSA #1:  Professional Learning Community in Relation to School Effectiveness

URL:  http://web.a.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=db9a285f-f7c3-431b-b0d6-cdb805c2d5c4%40sessionmgr4004&vid=2&hid=4107

A Call to End Teacher Autonomy

Rick DuFour’s article, “Work Together But Only if You Want To,” directs the teaching community to end working in isolation and the “every man for himself” attitude.  A teacher working alone is simply not professional and provides limitations to all school stakeholders.

He further petitions administration to create an infrastructure to allow teachers and principals to have the time and space to work together and focus on school improvement.  Furthermore, DuFour encourages school officials to “embed professional collaboration in the routine practice of the school” (pg 58).  Expecting teachers to “work together but only if they want to” will not suffice in true collaboration.

When teachers work in an effective partnership using the PLC model, DuFour states that research shows that student achievement increases. During meetings, not only to the teachers share ideas and teaching strategies, they co-labor to support the learning of all students, not as individual classrooms.  The PLC practice is systematic to aid in struggling students to receive the support they need to succeed.

DuFour added that the PLC process is difficult and challenging, but necessary to build school capacity and focus on learning.

Do PLC’s Make Schools Effective?

 In the Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir conducted a scientific study in two schools to find out if professional learning communities increase the school’s levels of effectiveness.  Specifically, it was found that during the PLC, teachers were sharing different teaching methods, “students outcomes increased dramatically” (Sigurðardóttir, 2010, pg 11).

Sigurðardóttir notes that administration should provide additional professional development and allow more opportunities for teachers to work together such as team-teaching. 

It Begins with Administration

Both authors come to many of the same conclusions through out the two readings.  They both commented that policymakers must aid in creating a more collective environment for teachers to come together. Sigurðardóttir called this philosophy a “more collaborative atmosphere” (pg14). In addition, they liked the idea of sharing the workload among the team with various shared responsibilities. They are in agreement that the focus of the PLC is student learning.  Lastly, Sigurðardóttir’s scientific research based findings further support DuFour’s ideas of his article.

References

Sigurðardóttir, A. (2010). Professional Learning Community in Relation to School Effectiveness.  Scandinavian Journal Of Educational Research, 54(5), 395-412. Retrieved from:  http://web.a.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=db9a285f-f7c3-431b-b0d6-cdb805c2d5c4%40sessionmgr4004&vid=2&hid=4107

DuFour, Rick. Work Together But Only if You Want To.  Kapplan Magazine 92, no 5 (February 2011): 57-61.