Ted-Ed

I created a Ted-Ed lesson on the Use of Technology in Foreign Language Classrooms. The idea is for students to begin thinking outside the box when it comes to technology. So many students tend to focus on the social implications of such materials, but I think that the engagement and feedback mechanisms can play an even more integral part in student achievement. While the video showed one way technology could be used, it also shows the teacher giving students extra help along the way.

Students would be judged on whether their proposed use of technology would be potentially useful in a classroom. If students shows some level of thought in their response it would be considered successful. The main idea is to spread engagement through engagement. An active student is more likely to learn successfully than one who tries to absorb information via osmosis.

Flipped Classroom

The idea of a flipped classroom is an interesting one. Changing the focus from lecture to engagement can definitely have its benefits. The more one on one time that can be spent with students, the more likely teachers will be able to quickly sort out learning gaps. Depending on the type of class and type of student, this may be a very successful way to conduct class. On the other hand, it may also land far below expectation.

Flipped classroom approaches allow students an easier medium to catch up if they are to fall behind, but are there unexpected consequences to this? What is the likelihood that the students won't just take this as an excuse to not go to class at all? In high schools, this issue may be circumvented due to attendance restrictions, but in colleges this may be an issue.

Another issue is the availability of technology for the students to view their lessons. If a student encounters an issue where they cannot, or do not, watch the video, the teacher may be stuck teaching the material as a lecture anyway, in essence costing time rather than saving it. While actually in the classroom, this may be accounted for by making the videos available to those who haven't watched them, but will the students stay on task.

While there are benefits to this teaching style, I think that it takes a certain class with a certain teacher to really make it successful. I think the most effective way to implement this would be for the students to join the class in a college environment knowing this is the way the class will be held in advance. Giving them the option to do so, rather than force it on the students as a way of teaching would be the optimal way to increase engagement while also minimizing downtime.

Twitterchatting

Twitter chatting has become an interesting concept within learning communities. Think of it as a virtual conference, where like minded individuals get together to discuss topics within their communities. The Twitter chat started out a bit slow for my liking, while I saw the tweets coming in, it seemed that the Q&A portion didn't really kick in until about 10 minutes into the "start" time. At this point, the moderator began posing questions which resulted in a give and take among participants.

I think that Twitter chats have a place within the professional development community, although they are not something I would use by myself given the choice. The pace was too slow for my liking, and this is in one of the more "lively groups." I think that a similar concept could be successful given an online teaching forum. This would allow users to see many different relevant concepts, pose different questions about different topics, and still gaining the desired feedback that Twitter chats provide. Forums, however, provide a similar medium without equal time constraints. The only downfall is that you need a larger number of people for them to be viable.

Twitter in Education

Twitter was founded a little over ten years ago. While the uses of Twitter have mostly focused around it being a social media tool, the way we think of social media has evolved over the years. Twitter has become about more than just connecting, people have found a variety of ways to utilize it for their own purposes. Educators, for example, have found ways to engage their students in schoolwork, while not in school.

Within classrooms, Twitter can be used in classrooms in a variety of ways. Twitter can be used to post questions for students to answer, almost in a gamified way. Twitter can be used to share ideas about a topic once your students have left school for the day. Students can be told to, look to Twitter for updates, which can range from educational materials, to videos, to just keeping them thinking about class material while they are not in school. Is it more likely students will go home and willfully think about material on their own, or watch a video about Civil War history, given a subtle push? Keeping students engaged is key to success.

Twitter as a Learning Community in Higher Education.
Is Twitter an Effective tool in Higher Education?

ePals

ePals appears to be a social networking site designed specifically for teachers. On the left hand side of the page you are able to filter exactly what type of teachers you want to connect with, from the  grade level, to the language spoken, etc. ePals allows a medium for collaboration with like-minded individuals as what appears to be challenge ideas for students to participate in.

The explore experiences tab allows users to collaborate with others on a specific topic or idea. Allowing students to participate with others around the world can lead to a cultural exchange that the students may not otherwise be able to experience.

Connectivism in Learning

Learning in today's society is like trying to move an ice cube through a funnel, no matter how hard you try, it takes a long time to get to where you're going without diluting the message.

One of the most persuasive factors is the shrinking half-life of knowledge. In today's society, we are constantly bombarded with information. Whether it comes from peers, the media, or the internet, information comes at a much lower cost than it did in the past. A learner is often presented an objective, and then told to get to the result. But how does this work? As more and more information is produced, we must filter out (funnel) what is really important. While some of the information we find will slowly seep through, it takes a long time to really get what you need. 

The knowledge in a technology field changes extremely quickly, but it's extremely reliant on the connections you've made with others. So with all this information out there, what is the best way to find what you're looking for? In many cases, virtual communities have begun to pop up as ways for learners to share ideas and get feedback from those who have similar experiences. This can provide a much more fluid exchange of ideas resulting in much better results at a faster pace. While this is not necessarily a benefit for all topics, it can allow many to proceed much more quickly than they could have otherwise.

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age
Siemens Video

Google+: Teachers for Interactive Language Learning

Teachers for Interactive Language Learning is a community on Google+ designed for the sharing of, "opinions and experiences related to helping others acquire an additional language." The idea is to create a community where we can learn from each others mistakes, and benefit from others gains. The feed on the site mostly consists of discussion posts, along with live conferences. The sharing of ideas promote engagement within the community which in turn, benefits both the students as well as the teacher.

Sites such as Google+ allow for an interactive medium that teachers may not have had access to in the past. Before you may have been limited to resources within your own school or local area. Finding a community within Google+ is fairly simple, allowing for easy access to those who may not have others to work with. The sharing of ideas allows for feedback to occur much more quickly than it may have otherwise.