-TP as lens to look at online teaching research
-TP as a set of observable actions performed by teacher
-TP as being content centered than learner centered
-TP as roles/tasks online teachers carry out
-TP as negotiated by teacher-learner depending on context grounded on activity theory (?)
-TP as a shared task/responsibility of teacher-learner but largely dependent on teacher
-TP as experience of the viewer/observer--whether 'teaching' is in fact happening or not depends on the participant--participant not solely member of the class--but a novice teacher such as I--observer.
Starting to question the construct of social presence---why do I see it as part and parcel of Teaching Presence--that is in fact inevitable--TP cannot be achieved without social presence in synchronous classes...one cannot study without not looking at the other. In asynch classes, teaching through lessons will continue,,,teachers do not necessarily have to establish social presence. But in synch classes--it becomes part of teacher actions that cannot be separated from her teaching esp in language learning---language as tool to mediate learning--learning in a social context. Social presence happens effortlessly then....
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Filtering Ideas=Pure and Simple TP
I need to remove unnecessary eklavoos before I start viewing+interpreting more classes at WizIQ and writing. Hence a few more reminders here for me:
1) Remove the idea of effective teaching from my pie.
2) For lit review---veer away from the whole COI framework and instead focus on what is said about teaching presence only---instructor presence...therefore look for Kessler's work
3) I can still afford to write about synchronous online platforms--only to establish that much research on TP + indicators are along the lines of asynchronous classes.
4) Mention emerging themes perhaps from prior research but mention also the nature of the data gathering---one is based on interviews of students, one is based on interviews of teachers---how about recorded classes and as interpreted by the researcher.
The above only mean that I as researcher, am doing this study to provide an interpretation of TP as viewed from a novice teacher's view---an outsider looking into the classes to observe how TP is happening.
I am not asking nor measuring nor relating this to the idea of effective teaching...instead I am plainly and purely looking into TP and what it is.
So if I am not even relating this to effective teaching, the significance of my study then is this: I am contributing to research on TP by providing another data source, another data gathering methodology to interpret TP. ...or perhaps another way of looking at TP?Is that it? What is f****** missing!!!
Preliminary Findings point to this one research question....
"How is teaching presence happening in live synchronous classes of exemplary language teachers?"
1) Remove the idea of effective teaching from my pie.
2) For lit review---veer away from the whole COI framework and instead focus on what is said about teaching presence only---instructor presence...therefore look for Kessler's work
3) I can still afford to write about synchronous online platforms--only to establish that much research on TP + indicators are along the lines of asynchronous classes.
4) Mention emerging themes perhaps from prior research but mention also the nature of the data gathering---one is based on interviews of students, one is based on interviews of teachers---how about recorded classes and as interpreted by the researcher.
The above only mean that I as researcher, am doing this study to provide an interpretation of TP as viewed from a novice teacher's view---an outsider looking into the classes to observe how TP is happening.
I am not asking nor measuring nor relating this to the idea of effective teaching...instead I am plainly and purely looking into TP and what it is.
So if I am not even relating this to effective teaching, the significance of my study then is this: I am contributing to research on TP by providing another data source, another data gathering methodology to interpret TP. ...or perhaps another way of looking at TP?Is that it? What is f****** missing!!!
Preliminary Findings point to this one research question....
"How is teaching presence happening in live synchronous classes of exemplary language teachers?"
Monday, August 29, 2011
"Oh YESSS I Like It!"
That's the Enrique Iglesia tune which has kept me company in this 4 day break ala home alone mode which has given me the time and space to rethink my study therefore reflect on Quali-R. Prior to Iglesias, I was in a Kesha mode for 2 mos just to come up with the research proposal on TP@WizIQ. Now, I'm in a path of disequilibrium which is still within my zone of proximal development, not yet an upsetting nor frustrating level kind since I've managed to postpone gratifying myself with a Cold Chai Frappe or Banana Cream Pie. I deserve to be gratified once I have something settled in my brain.
First thing to settle is this: the term EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION. No matter how many times I've come across that word, the meaning still isn't sticky to me. For one, it sounds like EPISTLE--so suddenly I relate it with the GOSPEL of Paul. Then that -OLOGY reminds me of some science word along with the other -OLOGIES I have to retain in my brain. Then ASSUMPTION, thaaat other Catholic sosyalerang private school which reminds me of a school uniform silly alumni members wear everytime they have a reunion. How did they ever come up with such a hellish idea! And to think it's a tradition they've passed on and on. I'm so glad to be a Maryknoller and UP grad. Anyways... EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION=a way of viewing at knowledge... a positioning....
What is my positioning in my current research of TP@WizIQ? I am an experienced teacher basic ed + developing higher ed online teacher + novice at synchronous platform. This is my reality hence I wanted to observe expert online teachers because....I want to learn from their practices. I am not here to measure how effective they are. I am here to see what and how they are doing it which make them connect with their students and make their interactions come alive as if everything is F2F. As researcher, I'd like to write it--as if the learning interactions are in right in front of my readers--and reflect on what I'm getting--what do their interactions mean. This is the reality I would like to document.
Whenever I view a recording, I do not take notes as if merely to describe--I go straight to interpreting what is happening=this is what I think about what they are doing.
Validity is gradually arrived at after adequate engagement in data collection, member checks (if possible) or stating my research position
. The 'rich & thick' description will be the test of this case study.
As to whether the results are consistent to the data collected...I do not know, YET what that means? :( Why does Quali-R make one delve in a state of uncertainty?
To carry on, I have to slay the obstacle---paper deadline and trust that I will be able to come up with something good to share on October 11.
Need to read on sample study---to see the portion where/when researcher discloses her positioning, and more importantly, how.
May I write this paper using the first person?
As opposed to Iglesias, I would not want to stay in this state for a long time. I would like the idea of arriving at something with having moments of this in bits....fear of being bogged down...hala LAGOT!
First thing to settle is this: the term EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION. No matter how many times I've come across that word, the meaning still isn't sticky to me. For one, it sounds like EPISTLE--so suddenly I relate it with the GOSPEL of Paul. Then that -OLOGY reminds me of some science word along with the other -OLOGIES I have to retain in my brain. Then ASSUMPTION, thaaat other Catholic sosyalerang private school which reminds me of a school uniform silly alumni members wear everytime they have a reunion. How did they ever come up with such a hellish idea! And to think it's a tradition they've passed on and on. I'm so glad to be a Maryknoller and UP grad. Anyways... EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION=a way of viewing at knowledge... a positioning....
What is my positioning in my current research of TP@WizIQ? I am an experienced teacher basic ed + developing higher ed online teacher + novice at synchronous platform. This is my reality hence I wanted to observe expert online teachers because....I want to learn from their practices. I am not here to measure how effective they are. I am here to see what and how they are doing it which make them connect with their students and make their interactions come alive as if everything is F2F. As researcher, I'd like to write it--as if the learning interactions are in right in front of my readers--and reflect on what I'm getting--what do their interactions mean. This is the reality I would like to document.
Whenever I view a recording, I do not take notes as if merely to describe--I go straight to interpreting what is happening=this is what I think about what they are doing.
Validity is gradually arrived at after adequate engagement in data collection, member checks (if possible) or stating my research position
. The 'rich & thick' description will be the test of this case study.
As to whether the results are consistent to the data collected...I do not know, YET what that means? :( Why does Quali-R make one delve in a state of uncertainty?
To carry on, I have to slay the obstacle---paper deadline and trust that I will be able to come up with something good to share on October 11.
Need to read on sample study---to see the portion where/when researcher discloses her positioning, and more importantly, how.
May I write this paper using the first person?
As opposed to Iglesias, I would not want to stay in this state for a long time. I would like the idea of arriving at something with having moments of this in bits....fear of being bogged down...hala LAGOT!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
EXT-ended Learning in Quali-R
Now I can claim why I got an EXT(=incomplete requirements) in my Quali-R course. My teacher gave me an EXT for lack of forum participation which may earn me a grade lower than 2.0, the EXT is to allow myself to catch up with the DB's but I chose not to because back then, I just got overwhelmed with finishing my paper in time for presentation at Singapore. After 2 semesters, here I am and thinking why the EXT is well deserved--- it is only now that I am learning what it means for Quali-R to be valid and credible. My concerns then was how to structure the paper, and come up with thick descriptions, while working with a co-writer at that.
In the usual view of doing a course, one is to complete requirements to show evidence of learning. However, in the context of lifelong learning, most often genuine learning comes after the course when one is completely satisfied with one's evidence of learning. Back then, I knew I missed out on something when I did that SOC research. And it's only now that I am seeing what I missed because now I've raised questions about validity and reliabilty.
With this new research endeavor on Teaching Presence,
it turns out, my current questions about Quali-R are in fact valuable and indicative of learning something new--and in my own time and effort.
Key words to remember:
internal validity and credibility
In the context of Quali-R, validity is the goal and not the product.
There is no objective reality and data do not speak for themselves.
Instead the researcher is the instrument of data gathering--hence it is through 'I'="me" that reality is interpreted by purposive sampling, making use of multiple data gathering methods, choice of data analysis methods and discussion/interpretation of findings--the researcher becomes the instrument of data collection closest to the data available from which a certain reality shall be examined or constructed.
How does that come into play then? How does my 'view'/'reading' of a certain situation become valid. One is through triangulation, achieved through multiple data sources, multiple methods as well, multiple perspectives/theoretical lens to view my data. For example as planned, in choice of exemplary teachers=sampling is purposive--there is consideration given to consultation with AA of WizIQ alongside public profile and data provided from user interface.
In terms of multiple data sources--I am currently gathering data from: chat/textbox---audio, video. Next level would be looking into the interactions. I also plan to gain member response--go back to the teacher samples about some observations and ask them about it.
In a post modern perspective however, it is crystallization one is after and not triangulation---the idea that what you interpret depends on the angle you choose in order to build/establish a certain reality.
This is my quote:
It is in the process of knowing that one is thing is made known which will mostly like be unknown unless the interpreter makes it known.
Thus the interpretion of that one which makes it a valid act.
Hence internal validity= "how congruent are one's findings with reality(participant's perspectives)"--"are the results consistent w/ data collected and NOT whether research findings can be replicated...
Another strategy I can make use of is "adequate engagement" in data collection... sufficient time spent in collecting data such that data become saturated.
MUST DO's:
1) I need to exhaust the data--until no more themes arise. So does that mean I have to observe more recordings per teacher or do I go for recordings across all teachers until I exhaust the data? Do I treat 1 teacher as 1 sample until I exhaust one or the the totality of recordings as samples until I exhaust all?
2) I have to do this systematically if my goal is to be better with my research technique--hence focusing on one teacher at a time will allow me to do so. I have to keep files, carefully match chat w/ audio then video observations---do printouts of all these transcripts. Then do my usual notations.
3)I have to take this slow and enjoy the learning and self-practice for a purpose.
4) I have to do this systematically because I am accountable---this is not my usual research of my school/classroom practice nor simple pursuit of my curiosities in the area of instructional approaches nor self journey type of narrative. This is about an excellent platform--with a decent award; excellent teachers and I am under a university grant--I have to do better than my prior research undertakings. This is not even about getting published at all. This is something that is meaningful and should matter not just to myself but to the teachers and to WizIQ.
5) I am ready to tasking for weekly accomplishments.
Next read would be reliability...
In the usual view of doing a course, one is to complete requirements to show evidence of learning. However, in the context of lifelong learning, most often genuine learning comes after the course when one is completely satisfied with one's evidence of learning. Back then, I knew I missed out on something when I did that SOC research. And it's only now that I am seeing what I missed because now I've raised questions about validity and reliabilty.
With this new research endeavor on Teaching Presence,
it turns out, my current questions about Quali-R are in fact valuable and indicative of learning something new--and in my own time and effort.
Key words to remember:
internal validity and credibility
In the context of Quali-R, validity is the goal and not the product.
There is no objective reality and data do not speak for themselves.
Instead the researcher is the instrument of data gathering--hence it is through 'I'="me" that reality is interpreted by purposive sampling, making use of multiple data gathering methods, choice of data analysis methods and discussion/interpretation of findings--the researcher becomes the instrument of data collection closest to the data available from which a certain reality shall be examined or constructed.
How does that come into play then? How does my 'view'/'reading' of a certain situation become valid. One is through triangulation, achieved through multiple data sources, multiple methods as well, multiple perspectives/theoretical lens to view my data. For example as planned, in choice of exemplary teachers=sampling is purposive--there is consideration given to consultation with AA of WizIQ alongside public profile and data provided from user interface.
In terms of multiple data sources--I am currently gathering data from: chat/textbox---audio, video. Next level would be looking into the interactions. I also plan to gain member response--go back to the teacher samples about some observations and ask them about it.
In a post modern perspective however, it is crystallization one is after and not triangulation---the idea that what you interpret depends on the angle you choose in order to build/establish a certain reality.
This is my quote:
It is in the process of knowing that one is thing is made known which will mostly like be unknown unless the interpreter makes it known.
Thus the interpretion of that one which makes it a valid act.
Hence internal validity= "how congruent are one's findings with reality(participant's perspectives)"--"are the results consistent w/ data collected and NOT whether research findings can be replicated...
Another strategy I can make use of is "adequate engagement" in data collection... sufficient time spent in collecting data such that data become saturated.
MUST DO's:
1) I need to exhaust the data--until no more themes arise. So does that mean I have to observe more recordings per teacher or do I go for recordings across all teachers until I exhaust the data? Do I treat 1 teacher as 1 sample until I exhaust one or the the totality of recordings as samples until I exhaust all?
2) I have to do this systematically if my goal is to be better with my research technique--hence focusing on one teacher at a time will allow me to do so. I have to keep files, carefully match chat w/ audio then video observations---do printouts of all these transcripts. Then do my usual notations.
3)I have to take this slow and enjoy the learning and self-practice for a purpose.
4) I have to do this systematically because I am accountable---this is not my usual research of my school/classroom practice nor simple pursuit of my curiosities in the area of instructional approaches nor self journey type of narrative. This is about an excellent platform--with a decent award; excellent teachers and I am under a university grant--I have to do better than my prior research undertakings. This is not even about getting published at all. This is something that is meaningful and should matter not just to myself but to the teachers and to WizIQ.
5) I am ready to tasking for weekly accomplishments.
Next read would be reliability...
Before Death Becomes Me
Before Death Becomes Me
I'd like to....
-become a vegetarian
-yoga train for 2 mos in India
-dive with Miranda
-have a new laptop from UPOU
-hold a headstand for 1 minute or two
-see Mauro at 12 and Miranda in U.P.
-have my Rajasthan dream
-any of these: Palawan, Bohol or Camiguin w/ the kids
-go back to volunteer work
-smile at 2 people for the last time
-go Bangkok or Vietnam w/ my M&M's
-hug my dad
-see my mom happy
-hold V's hand and truly mean it
I'd like to....
-become a vegetarian
-yoga train for 2 mos in India
-dive with Miranda
-have a new laptop from UPOU
-hold a headstand for 1 minute or two
-see Mauro at 12 and Miranda in U.P.
-have my Rajasthan dream
-any of these: Palawan, Bohol or Camiguin w/ the kids
-go back to volunteer work
-smile at 2 people for the last time
-go Bangkok or Vietnam w/ my M&M's
-hug my dad
-see my mom happy
-hold V's hand and truly mean it
Friday, August 26, 2011
Hitting Angry Birds with One Stone of a Research
Yeah, aren't all these Angry Birds soooo cute!!! My son made his sketch of Angry Birds on his own. While he is driven and fixated with his all types of drawings, I bring myself to do the same for my research on Teaching Presence. I am now taking note of emerging themes from my observations of exemplary teachers. Thanks to Nellie, George and Namrata, plus a few hired teachers to help with the audio transcriptions, this research has more reason to go on.
For one, my questions are growing: Can 'teaching presence' be taught? Was it meant to be viewed this way? If so, what is the best way to do it for preservice online teachers? Is there some kind of teaching presence particular to synchronous live classes vs f2f? particular to each subject matter?....How is teaching presence best learned by student-teachers/would-be/ novice online teachers? Are there differences between how novice and expert F2F teachers perceive and learn about teaching presence in synchronous platforms?
Secondly, I need to remind myself why I chose to do this over other things:
-I'd like to know how to amply prepare Bachelor of Education Studies student-teachers to run synchronous classes in K-12/ Open HS;
-I'd like to see whether observing of recorded live virtual classes will influence the way they teach and if so, in what ways;
-I'd like to build on this study in order to observe online teachers of K-12 abroad and how they teach synchronously;
-I'd like to design a workshop training on how local teachers can effectively use a videoconferencing platform;
-I'd like to model good teaching practices using WizIQ to our BES/pre service teachers; and lastly,
-I'd like to get into teaching Filipino as a Second Language online via WizIQ, and do this effectively
Now as to whether I can sustain this interest and action in as much as how my son is forever into Naruto-Angry Birds-Wrestling-Manga-Anime-Megalodon-Fossil drawing+video games+cartoons, then this could really be like hitting a bit of everything in one stone of a research.
For one, my questions are growing: Can 'teaching presence' be taught? Was it meant to be viewed this way? If so, what is the best way to do it for preservice online teachers? Is there some kind of teaching presence particular to synchronous live classes vs f2f? particular to each subject matter?....How is teaching presence best learned by student-teachers/would-be/ novice online teachers? Are there differences between how novice and expert F2F teachers perceive and learn about teaching presence in synchronous platforms?
Secondly, I need to remind myself why I chose to do this over other things:
-I'd like to know how to amply prepare Bachelor of Education Studies student-teachers to run synchronous classes in K-12/ Open HS;
-I'd like to see whether observing of recorded live virtual classes will influence the way they teach and if so, in what ways;
-I'd like to build on this study in order to observe online teachers of K-12 abroad and how they teach synchronously;
-I'd like to design a workshop training on how local teachers can effectively use a videoconferencing platform;
-I'd like to model good teaching practices using WizIQ to our BES/pre service teachers; and lastly,
-I'd like to get into teaching Filipino as a Second Language online via WizIQ, and do this effectively
Now as to whether I can sustain this interest and action in as much as how my son is forever into Naruto-Angry Birds-Wrestling-Manga-Anime-Megalodon-Fossil drawing+video games+cartoons, then this could really be like hitting a bit of everything in one stone of a research.
More Quests re Quali Research
I can't help but stop and think or maybe this just me delaying my work. I am starting to think about possible themes for my research on Teaching Presence and I'm asking myself again and throwing it all here. As an observer of recorded live classes, I am taking down notes from my own perspective. I question what makes my observations valid? If another person observes the same set of recorded classes, will he or she be able to come up with similar notes? Or let's say I have a younger-novice teacher version of myself, would I be able to see what I'm seeing now as an older, more experienced teacher? Should I be even asking these questions...
Aside from that, I'm also thinking of a way to write and present findings re the exemplary teachers. Does it have to go by themes right away? Or can it be done this way---I discuss my findings per teacher + set of classes(not by themes yet) then in the end recommend a set of themes through which Teaching Presence can be observed and examined in live synchronous classes...thereby contributing to the body of knowledge of how research into effective online teaching can be conducted.
Now, to delay more work which needs to be done (=clean my work cubicle, file-file-more filing), I am now back to reading where I left off in Merriam's 2009 Book "Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation", Chapter 8: Quali Data Analysis and Chapter 9: Dealing With Validity, Reliability and Ethics.
Aside from that, I'm also thinking of a way to write and present findings re the exemplary teachers. Does it have to go by themes right away? Or can it be done this way---I discuss my findings per teacher + set of classes(not by themes yet) then in the end recommend a set of themes through which Teaching Presence can be observed and examined in live synchronous classes...thereby contributing to the body of knowledge of how research into effective online teaching can be conducted.
Now, to delay more work which needs to be done (=clean my work cubicle, file-file-more filing), I am now back to reading where I left off in Merriam's 2009 Book "Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation", Chapter 8: Quali Data Analysis and Chapter 9: Dealing With Validity, Reliability and Ethics.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Syn- + chron + (ous): Teaching of the 3rd Kind
It's been a few weeks since the Faculty Congress where I got to share my mini- bag of goodies with fellow colleagues of the University of the Philippines. I'm trying to understand where my apprehension was coming from when I was asked by my Dean to handle this presentation in front of faculty members. I mean, out of all facs, why me? Could it be due to my buzzing about a research colloquim, Moodle Moot Aussie, or my sneak previews of Google sites and WizIQ during a workshop, or am I just the easiest one to bully for a performance of some kind? My portion for the Fac Congress was about "Engaging Learners", a task which I was uncertain of doing since I started my work as an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Open U. Whenever I hear THAT title, it sounds more like an ASS-Prof since half of the time I feel like I am making an ass of myself while teaching online with all my trials and errors, and more errors.
To date, my work at UPOU is the worst teaching experience I've ever had in my life. If there is such a thing as best teaching practice, this is where the opposite of it happened to me--online. Something about higher ed and U.P. as THE state university, which make people assume that once called a 'Prof', one is an excellent teacher to start with. And so the expectation is great and that rubbed off on me: I too expect myself to be a good enough teacher to start with since I've been teaching for 20 years.
My 20 years was colored by teaching in schools/ set ups with very unique causes in the Philippine context: progressive education=Community of Learners, learning disabilities=Wordlab School, IBO-PYP=The Beacon School, teacher to the barrios=UP Oblation Corps. These were pioneering schools/programs in the Philippines.
Then comes UPOU...one of the pioneering open and distance learning institutions within the residential top state university of the country. Though I do have an agenda in Social Studies and Teacher Education to start with, my bigger cause is for the Filipino learners. I see distance education and UPOU as the university which can accommodate the kind of graduates from the types of thinkers and doers I encounter at the basic ed level. ODL is what my children at the K-12 will get into, a few years from now.
My cause is great and very much in place, but my teaching isn't at all.
How am I supposed to sustain this act...especially in front of an audience who are part of the bigger UP system which haven't fully embraced our presence as their Open University. Residential experts and scholarly faculty members view us with skepticism despite allies who see ODL as an opportunity to further the cause of their field. So the pressure of having to face senior faculty members teaching in the residential mode most of their teaching lives was something to reckon with. I don't think I even have enough experience with teaching online to swing a presentation.
Online teaching when I first taught at UPOU equals asynchronous. The first platform we used was IVLE. It felt like I was a frozen delight the whole time--I had so much warmth to give as an F2F teacher but trapped in some ice cold freezer of a platform. I was simply scheming through my students responses which I liken to responding to some email groupie, only that you aren't chums nor friends with these folks without faces and worse, what you're trying to talk about isn't about life at all. It was like going through the motions of Q's and A's to finally give a grade. It's as frozen as can be because teaching then wasn't an 'experience' at all.
Then came Moodle...but this time, I call my teaching as half baked despite my becoming more in touch with the undergrads under my supervision as Program Chair of Associate in Arts@UPOU. In my undergrad class, I was making gains as the course itself had to do a combination of online and offline activities. It's the blended formula I learned through the UPOU Community Site where I get to socialize with students and do informal consultations for ideas to implement program improvements. This virtual forum served as springboard to organize offline community building activities which facilitated my performance of administrative duties in monitoring and handling a big population of undergrads. When they see me F2F or online, I will always be Prof V, their program chair, ready to give academic advice. But this is not the major responsibility I have. On paper, professor=40% teaching, online teaching that is.
Teaching to grad level students was the part of me I was most dissatisfied with. It took an amount of effort to schedule an F2F with my grad students to let me feel connected in the first place. A common time was hard to find given that weekends are either make up time for catching up with other online classes or make up time with family. My students were mostly employed fulltime and already teachers at that. Sometimes it felt like they just wanted to get over my course in order to earn enough credits to become qualified examinees for teaching certification and licensure. It came to a point when I actually questioned my existence at UPOU and if in fact college teaching is the path for me.
Hence the apprehension to even share about 'Engaging Learners' as I may come across as superficial...well, almost not. Good thing I was able to dig into my bag of tricks as I experimented with WizIQ, a synchronous platform which allowed for things to finally come together for me as an online teacher. It's a kind of teaching I fondly call now as the 3rd Kind, lol. If the F2F was the 1st kind for me, and online ala asynchronous is the 2nd Kind, then going synchronous is teaching of the 3rd Kind!
WizIQ came at a time when I realized that part of me was indeed 'settled' in my job at the university. My recent attempts to do an autoethnography which I presented at Pune was telling of that journey into student support and distance education. I would not even come close to saying that learning about WizIQ was some form of divine intervention..hardly at all, lol. In fact, I learned about this online tool from a UPOU student with troll like behavior over at our virtual site. I tried to pick it up after I had a brief 1-1 finding out at Pune, to be continued via skype conversation and an actual demo. I have yet to be convinced of course. I finally decided to go for premium membership over the summer after reading some blog comparing WizIQ with a dimming Dimdim. I was being my usual self as a gradeschool teacher, fond of seeing a new toy and wondering how I can make functional, practical and crazy use of it.
As I was saying, I did have fun experimenting with my WizIQ toy over the summer. I tinkered with the virtual classroom features first with my gradeschoolers a few days before schoolbreak, like a show and tell session of some neat artifact I found in India. Then come April 2011, I was on a 30 day trial and tried it out with few UPOU forum members and colleagues---still in seclusion thanks to the private class setting. I didn't dare go public yet as it did take time to get myself comfortable hearing my kiddish voice. I patiently went through a few more demos handled personally by the WizIQ Support Team, viewed tutorials and even attended classes as a real student. I lurked in the discussion area of the E Learning Community to get the feel of the other teacher-members. I observed a few classes and I thought perhaps it will still take a length of time before I can give this tool a GO in my classes at UPOU.
As classes finally opened this June at UPOU, I found myself making good use of my toy. One time, this toy felt like a hi-tech gadget when our Moodle was down for almost a week--my class was up and running still at WizIQ while the rest of my colleagues were disappointed with some glitch in our asynchronous platform. Funny even, that when I first met my grad level students online, they commented on me as being approachable and cybergenic, lol--proof of the fact that the video+audio makes the teacher alive thereby making them feel alive enough to say those things about me. These live sychronous classes complement the revamps I was doing in my Moodle with the help of Google Sites and html codes. I had a bag of tricks to share with fellow facs after all :)
Looking back, this WizIQ tool a few months ago felt like a precious Parker pen I'd hardly use for the fear of misplacing....now it's becoming more like a whiteboard marker and my laptop which I can't do without. In the near future, perhaps it may turn into an ordinary ballpen or book I will easily misplace and eventually forget about. Technology, my teaching and I will surely move on.
These days however, I plan to enjoy going synchronous while I still can.
Teaching of the 4th, or 5th kind or whatever new toy will just have to wait. With improvements coming along at WizIQ, slowly but surely, I hope to see it happening more for Open HS and K-12 in the Philippines.
To date, my work at UPOU is the worst teaching experience I've ever had in my life. If there is such a thing as best teaching practice, this is where the opposite of it happened to me--online. Something about higher ed and U.P. as THE state university, which make people assume that once called a 'Prof', one is an excellent teacher to start with. And so the expectation is great and that rubbed off on me: I too expect myself to be a good enough teacher to start with since I've been teaching for 20 years.
My 20 years was colored by teaching in schools/ set ups with very unique causes in the Philippine context: progressive education=Community of Learners, learning disabilities=Wordlab School, IBO-PYP=The Beacon School, teacher to the barrios=UP Oblation Corps. These were pioneering schools/programs in the Philippines.
Then comes UPOU...one of the pioneering open and distance learning institutions within the residential top state university of the country. Though I do have an agenda in Social Studies and Teacher Education to start with, my bigger cause is for the Filipino learners. I see distance education and UPOU as the university which can accommodate the kind of graduates from the types of thinkers and doers I encounter at the basic ed level. ODL is what my children at the K-12 will get into, a few years from now.
My cause is great and very much in place, but my teaching isn't at all.
How am I supposed to sustain this act...especially in front of an audience who are part of the bigger UP system which haven't fully embraced our presence as their Open University. Residential experts and scholarly faculty members view us with skepticism despite allies who see ODL as an opportunity to further the cause of their field. So the pressure of having to face senior faculty members teaching in the residential mode most of their teaching lives was something to reckon with. I don't think I even have enough experience with teaching online to swing a presentation.
Online teaching when I first taught at UPOU equals asynchronous. The first platform we used was IVLE. It felt like I was a frozen delight the whole time--I had so much warmth to give as an F2F teacher but trapped in some ice cold freezer of a platform. I was simply scheming through my students responses which I liken to responding to some email groupie, only that you aren't chums nor friends with these folks without faces and worse, what you're trying to talk about isn't about life at all. It was like going through the motions of Q's and A's to finally give a grade. It's as frozen as can be because teaching then wasn't an 'experience' at all.
Then came Moodle...but this time, I call my teaching as half baked despite my becoming more in touch with the undergrads under my supervision as Program Chair of Associate in Arts@UPOU. In my undergrad class, I was making gains as the course itself had to do a combination of online and offline activities. It's the blended formula I learned through the UPOU Community Site where I get to socialize with students and do informal consultations for ideas to implement program improvements. This virtual forum served as springboard to organize offline community building activities which facilitated my performance of administrative duties in monitoring and handling a big population of undergrads. When they see me F2F or online, I will always be Prof V, their program chair, ready to give academic advice. But this is not the major responsibility I have. On paper, professor=40% teaching, online teaching that is.
Teaching to grad level students was the part of me I was most dissatisfied with. It took an amount of effort to schedule an F2F with my grad students to let me feel connected in the first place. A common time was hard to find given that weekends are either make up time for catching up with other online classes or make up time with family. My students were mostly employed fulltime and already teachers at that. Sometimes it felt like they just wanted to get over my course in order to earn enough credits to become qualified examinees for teaching certification and licensure. It came to a point when I actually questioned my existence at UPOU and if in fact college teaching is the path for me.
Hence the apprehension to even share about 'Engaging Learners' as I may come across as superficial...well, almost not. Good thing I was able to dig into my bag of tricks as I experimented with WizIQ, a synchronous platform which allowed for things to finally come together for me as an online teacher. It's a kind of teaching I fondly call now as the 3rd Kind, lol. If the F2F was the 1st kind for me, and online ala asynchronous is the 2nd Kind, then going synchronous is teaching of the 3rd Kind!
WizIQ came at a time when I realized that part of me was indeed 'settled' in my job at the university. My recent attempts to do an autoethnography which I presented at Pune was telling of that journey into student support and distance education. I would not even come close to saying that learning about WizIQ was some form of divine intervention..hardly at all, lol. In fact, I learned about this online tool from a UPOU student with troll like behavior over at our virtual site. I tried to pick it up after I had a brief 1-1 finding out at Pune, to be continued via skype conversation and an actual demo. I have yet to be convinced of course. I finally decided to go for premium membership over the summer after reading some blog comparing WizIQ with a dimming Dimdim. I was being my usual self as a gradeschool teacher, fond of seeing a new toy and wondering how I can make functional, practical and crazy use of it.
As I was saying, I did have fun experimenting with my WizIQ toy over the summer. I tinkered with the virtual classroom features first with my gradeschoolers a few days before schoolbreak, like a show and tell session of some neat artifact I found in India. Then come April 2011, I was on a 30 day trial and tried it out with few UPOU forum members and colleagues---still in seclusion thanks to the private class setting. I didn't dare go public yet as it did take time to get myself comfortable hearing my kiddish voice. I patiently went through a few more demos handled personally by the WizIQ Support Team, viewed tutorials and even attended classes as a real student. I lurked in the discussion area of the E Learning Community to get the feel of the other teacher-members. I observed a few classes and I thought perhaps it will still take a length of time before I can give this tool a GO in my classes at UPOU.
As classes finally opened this June at UPOU, I found myself making good use of my toy. One time, this toy felt like a hi-tech gadget when our Moodle was down for almost a week--my class was up and running still at WizIQ while the rest of my colleagues were disappointed with some glitch in our asynchronous platform. Funny even, that when I first met my grad level students online, they commented on me as being approachable and cybergenic, lol--proof of the fact that the video+audio makes the teacher alive thereby making them feel alive enough to say those things about me. These live sychronous classes complement the revamps I was doing in my Moodle with the help of Google Sites and html codes. I had a bag of tricks to share with fellow facs after all :)
Looking back, this WizIQ tool a few months ago felt like a precious Parker pen I'd hardly use for the fear of misplacing....now it's becoming more like a whiteboard marker and my laptop which I can't do without. In the near future, perhaps it may turn into an ordinary ballpen or book I will easily misplace and eventually forget about. Technology, my teaching and I will surely move on.
These days however, I plan to enjoy going synchronous while I still can.
Teaching of the 4th, or 5th kind or whatever new toy will just have to wait. With improvements coming along at WizIQ, slowly but surely, I hope to see it happening more for Open HS and K-12 in the Philippines.
Snippets from WizIQ Observations
Top of my head kinda thinking here after scheming through a few recorded classes---like if I were to present WizIQ exemplary teachers at a conference, which video shots/ audio portions should I share and why?
Nellie--the part when she shakes her head while listening to music as she allows her students to enjoy music at the start of her session or even midway. This is a teacher establishing a relaxed atmosphere with her students. Then later on a student responding to Nellie's question by using music as well :) Portions of both video and chatbox show how she seamlessly shifts between modes of teaching to address individual concerns related to language learning. Add to that are splices of Nellie sharing something about her self to genuinely connect with her online learners...and boy, that APRIL FOOL's prank is a MUST SEE!
Namrata--asking about her students' background and line of work. She maximizes the use of audio+ppt, most especially her tone of voice as she tries to model speaking and point out 'emphasis'....or her tone of voice while managing to discipline a student who bothers a fellow student in class....a teacher who is able to sustain attention and consistent attendance of cautious, beginning level learners eager to practice their spoken English.
George--using his face while attempting to mimick word pronunciation and show speech production in order to drive a point in a light and humorous way... a teacher who manages to bring in lots of personality into his direct instruction. He says something about the brains and language learning--metacognition=thinking about one's learning. He also equips students with self-monitoring/ independent learning skills--opportunities to choose worksheet level, ways to continue learning/self-practice.
I am now thinking of creative ways to present these snippets of observations:
-a chart to show segments of: chatbox entry vs audio transcript vs screenshot of teacher's video then a hyperlink to 'play' or 'run' the segment;
-authorStream is now a MUST learn for me
I also have a series of questions to ask out of sheer curiosity as I've consistently seen tech glitches in the class recordings. Also because I am seeing perhaps one aspect of Teaching Presence in synchronous platforms: managing virtual classroomm features and coping/dealing with technical problems= teacher/student actions + interactions to troubleshoot in order to sustain class participation.
A few questions here for these exemplary teachers:
-Do you see tech glitches as major obstacles to how you want the teaching and learning to happen in your live classes?
-How do you feel about these unexpected audio glitches? Have you observed the same glitches whilst using other synchronous platforms and how do you deal with these?
-Are these glitches something you can forego because in the end, you see teaching and learning happening after all?
-Despite these technical challenges which go with the platform, why do you still choose to use WizIQ even if you already have ESL websites? ?
Nellie--the part when she shakes her head while listening to music as she allows her students to enjoy music at the start of her session or even midway. This is a teacher establishing a relaxed atmosphere with her students. Then later on a student responding to Nellie's question by using music as well :) Portions of both video and chatbox show how she seamlessly shifts between modes of teaching to address individual concerns related to language learning. Add to that are splices of Nellie sharing something about her self to genuinely connect with her online learners...and boy, that APRIL FOOL's prank is a MUST SEE!
Namrata--asking about her students' background and line of work. She maximizes the use of audio+ppt, most especially her tone of voice as she tries to model speaking and point out 'emphasis'....or her tone of voice while managing to discipline a student who bothers a fellow student in class....a teacher who is able to sustain attention and consistent attendance of cautious, beginning level learners eager to practice their spoken English.
George--using his face while attempting to mimick word pronunciation and show speech production in order to drive a point in a light and humorous way... a teacher who manages to bring in lots of personality into his direct instruction. He says something about the brains and language learning--metacognition=thinking about one's learning. He also equips students with self-monitoring/ independent learning skills--opportunities to choose worksheet level, ways to continue learning/self-practice.
I am now thinking of creative ways to present these snippets of observations:
-a chart to show segments of: chatbox entry vs audio transcript vs screenshot of teacher's video then a hyperlink to 'play' or 'run' the segment;
-authorStream is now a MUST learn for me
I also have a series of questions to ask out of sheer curiosity as I've consistently seen tech glitches in the class recordings. Also because I am seeing perhaps one aspect of Teaching Presence in synchronous platforms: managing virtual classroomm features and coping/dealing with technical problems= teacher/student actions + interactions to troubleshoot in order to sustain class participation.
A few questions here for these exemplary teachers:
-Do you see tech glitches as major obstacles to how you want the teaching and learning to happen in your live classes?
-How do you feel about these unexpected audio glitches? Have you observed the same glitches whilst using other synchronous platforms and how do you deal with these?
-Are these glitches something you can forego because in the end, you see teaching and learning happening after all?
-Despite these technical challenges which go with the platform, why do you still choose to use WizIQ even if you already have ESL websites? ?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Possible Recurring Themes
Alas, I've managed to transcribe 3 recordings= 1 per teacher to get the feel of things and identify possible themes which may recur in the next few recordings. Good news is that WizIQ + teachers permitted me access to download recordings so now I have hired transcribers to help me out. This means I can devote my energies to start thinking through what I've observed.
Possible themes which may recur throughout the recorded class observations in answer to this question:
What is the nature of teaching presence in synch live classes?
(and maybe I'm also curious if there really is a diff with asynch and realtime F2F sessions)
So....here's what I'm seeing so far: TP in synch classes=
-rapport building done in a certain way (each teacher having a diff style)
-coaching/modeling to students use of VC to acclimatize them with online learning via a virtual classroom
-direct instruction---language lessons to address both individual needs and whole class concerns
-facilitation or teaching through multi media resources---and seamless of manner of using these features (like how an F2F teacher uses AV aids)
-reinforcements, support for/encouragements to speak and use English
(perhaps a next follow up study would be comparing TP in Live Synch classes in Higher Ed vs Basic Ed)
Hmmm, this is still scratching the surface...I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT QUALI RESEARCH AIM TO SURFACE THE MEANINGS BEHIND THESE THEMES...right! Why do I sense that I may be missing out on something here. :(
On to viewing 2 more recordings to specifically get 'critical teaching moments' which make for TP.
Possible themes which may recur throughout the recorded class observations in answer to this question:
What is the nature of teaching presence in synch live classes?
(and maybe I'm also curious if there really is a diff with asynch and realtime F2F sessions)
So....here's what I'm seeing so far: TP in synch classes=
-rapport building done in a certain way (each teacher having a diff style)
-coaching/modeling to students use of VC to acclimatize them with online learning via a virtual classroom
-direct instruction---language lessons to address both individual needs and whole class concerns
-facilitation or teaching through multi media resources---and seamless of manner of using these features (like how an F2F teacher uses AV aids)
-reinforcements, support for/encouragements to speak and use English
(perhaps a next follow up study would be comparing TP in Live Synch classes in Higher Ed vs Basic Ed)
Hmmm, this is still scratching the surface...I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT QUALI RESEARCH AIM TO SURFACE THE MEANINGS BEHIND THESE THEMES...right! Why do I sense that I may be missing out on something here. :(
On to viewing 2 more recordings to specifically get 'critical teaching moments' which make for TP.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Of A Lost Story and Keeping the Found Ones
Just yesterday, I had about 10-11 students from my course at UPOU: Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) Ecology Track. I received a yesss from resource persons, namely Kristoffer Ordonez and Anthony Arbias, environmental advocates and volunteers. Kris was a former student of mine who spearheaded the first Ecology Track on Treeplanting@IPO Dam for the CWTS last year while Anthony was referred to me by the UP Mountaineers to be an expert on Philippine Trees. I invited these precious individuals purposely to share their knowledge and experiences about: Watersheds+Reforestation+Philippine Trees+Volunteerism. Of course before their lectures, I didn't see them as precious at all, I only assumed they were down to earth individuals being members of UP Mountaineer, and perhaps a given that they are intelligent folks because they are from UP, the top state university of the country, and therefore can carry a lecture/ sharing session with UP students.
Of course, I label them only now as precious after learning about what they know and willingly share every chance they get through conversations while having treewalks, hikes, major climbs and camp outs. But of course, it quite impossible to set up a hike for busy working students who choose to earn their degree online, and put up with a course on citizenship education to fulfill actual hours of doing community service as mandated by law. This F2F session was meant for students to see the meaning behind a simple but humble act of treeplanting and nurturing as part of the community service of their choice=Ecology Track.
So, I've set up my WizIQ classroom to do its job, record the audio, video the ppt and student engagements with the topics at hand. I sat comfortably with my students cuz there was so much to learn. All this time, I thought the recording was "happening". But somehow the recording via WizIQ didn't capture what we all saw and experienced F2F. I know, I am still experimenting with using the tool to run a videocon ala webinar. I thought I could pull it with my current skills. Somehow it didn't happen the way I wanted and that's like all their efforts down the drain. The failed recording was either due to a shaky internet connection or some technical glitch I wasn't able to predict or my lack of skill and memory to do what I had to do. I feel terrible.
True, the students who arrived to witness the activity F2F brought home with them new found knowledge but how about the rest of my students who could not make it. Yeah, I got the ppt and I can easily upload this as a tutorial over at WizIQ or my google docs then embed the code onto my Moodle classroom. Or Maybe I can ask them to come around and record their talk all over again using my videocam. But no, this will not do at all. Why so....
Kris and Anthony's style was very much like storytelling ala peershare. They were there as simple folks, mountaineers who happen to love what they do and the knowledge they discover along the way. Hence sharing scientific knowledge+anecdotes of bits from here and there would be quite instinctive with hardly a 'script' to follow. This style of knowledge sharing I find hardly intimidating to both teachers and learners--it's what I describe as light but loaded. Kris' creative use of photos, numbers, symbols, maps and data generated from environmental assessments delivered as if he was just narrating a story over a campfire, a style which to my mind works best for this adult-learner population of undergrads. Anthony's aesthetic sense as seen through his choice of photographs (grabbed from friends and his own collection) and intentional use of the Filipino language bore his agenda to widen our knowledge and instill in our memory the taken for granted Philippine Trees. His science was a blend of indigenous knowledge from his actual explorations, studies and conversations with like minded individuals and botanists. Hence, the interaction which transpired all seemed to be an ongoing conversation and flow of ideas among peers, like a narrative in itself which can no longer be replicated. Meaning, that if ever Kris and Anthony would do this all over again to another audience, I am certain that a different set of interactions would take place. It is these types of unique interactions which mostly remain as hidden, and uncodified and now all the more worth capturing and replaying through a tool such as WizIQ.
Though someone has told me WizIQ is just a tool for teachers, in this learning context, it could have been a powerful tool. I am determined to do this better next time!!!
For now, I can only maximize this opportunity to codify the found stories in WizIQ's collection of public classes=interactions happening in the recorded classes of Nellie, Namrata and George...the only ones I can afford to observe and closely examine through my small study given the realities of my time. If I had a co-writer, we would have sufficient time to cover the works of Vinodita Sankhyan, Vijaya Lakshmi, and maybe Sharon Hartle or Sylvia Guinan. Perhaps a part 2 study will do later on.
Not unless...WizIQ for some reason would like to celebrate their latest award by launching an online contest: for teachers and learners themselves to pick 1 favorite recorded live class, blog about it to tell us why!!! Imagine replaying a mash up of all these fave classes in a user conference, wow...I'd love to see inserts of Mr Machlan's EduPunk videos on a wide screen, and a 3D version at that, lol. Wishful thinking, lol.
What remains still, are stories online learners tell others about classes happening for them @WizIQ. Some could be a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Still some, are meant to be played over and over again.
Of course, I label them only now as precious after learning about what they know and willingly share every chance they get through conversations while having treewalks, hikes, major climbs and camp outs. But of course, it quite impossible to set up a hike for busy working students who choose to earn their degree online, and put up with a course on citizenship education to fulfill actual hours of doing community service as mandated by law. This F2F session was meant for students to see the meaning behind a simple but humble act of treeplanting and nurturing as part of the community service of their choice=Ecology Track.
So, I've set up my WizIQ classroom to do its job, record the audio, video the ppt and student engagements with the topics at hand. I sat comfortably with my students cuz there was so much to learn. All this time, I thought the recording was "happening". But somehow the recording via WizIQ didn't capture what we all saw and experienced F2F. I know, I am still experimenting with using the tool to run a videocon ala webinar. I thought I could pull it with my current skills. Somehow it didn't happen the way I wanted and that's like all their efforts down the drain. The failed recording was either due to a shaky internet connection or some technical glitch I wasn't able to predict or my lack of skill and memory to do what I had to do. I feel terrible.
True, the students who arrived to witness the activity F2F brought home with them new found knowledge but how about the rest of my students who could not make it. Yeah, I got the ppt and I can easily upload this as a tutorial over at WizIQ or my google docs then embed the code onto my Moodle classroom. Or Maybe I can ask them to come around and record their talk all over again using my videocam. But no, this will not do at all. Why so....
Kris and Anthony's style was very much like storytelling ala peershare. They were there as simple folks, mountaineers who happen to love what they do and the knowledge they discover along the way. Hence sharing scientific knowledge+anecdotes of bits from here and there would be quite instinctive with hardly a 'script' to follow. This style of knowledge sharing I find hardly intimidating to both teachers and learners--it's what I describe as light but loaded. Kris' creative use of photos, numbers, symbols, maps and data generated from environmental assessments delivered as if he was just narrating a story over a campfire, a style which to my mind works best for this adult-learner population of undergrads. Anthony's aesthetic sense as seen through his choice of photographs (grabbed from friends and his own collection) and intentional use of the Filipino language bore his agenda to widen our knowledge and instill in our memory the taken for granted Philippine Trees. His science was a blend of indigenous knowledge from his actual explorations, studies and conversations with like minded individuals and botanists. Hence, the interaction which transpired all seemed to be an ongoing conversation and flow of ideas among peers, like a narrative in itself which can no longer be replicated. Meaning, that if ever Kris and Anthony would do this all over again to another audience, I am certain that a different set of interactions would take place. It is these types of unique interactions which mostly remain as hidden, and uncodified and now all the more worth capturing and replaying through a tool such as WizIQ.
Though someone has told me WizIQ is just a tool for teachers, in this learning context, it could have been a powerful tool. I am determined to do this better next time!!!
For now, I can only maximize this opportunity to codify the found stories in WizIQ's collection of public classes=interactions happening in the recorded classes of Nellie, Namrata and George...the only ones I can afford to observe and closely examine through my small study given the realities of my time. If I had a co-writer, we would have sufficient time to cover the works of Vinodita Sankhyan, Vijaya Lakshmi, and maybe Sharon Hartle or Sylvia Guinan. Perhaps a part 2 study will do later on.
Not unless...WizIQ for some reason would like to celebrate their latest award by launching an online contest: for teachers and learners themselves to pick 1 favorite recorded live class, blog about it to tell us why!!! Imagine replaying a mash up of all these fave classes in a user conference, wow...I'd love to see inserts of Mr Machlan's EduPunk videos on a wide screen, and a 3D version at that, lol. Wishful thinking, lol.
What remains still, are stories online learners tell others about classes happening for them @WizIQ. Some could be a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Still some, are meant to be played over and over again.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Google Sites + Moodle + WizIQ= Having my Cake and Eating It, too!
My July 31 blog was about me getting worried about my presentation to a bunch of academicians over at my Unive during our Aug 4 Faculty Congress.
Well, I was able to cook up versions which you can find here:
a) Text Version @Google Sites: https://sites.google.com/site/iteacherguroako/engaging-learners
b) Dry Run recorded version @WizIQ: http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/594358-upou-faculty-congress-session-2-engaging-learners-dry-run
c) Tutorial Version @WizIQ: http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/159230-UPOU-Faculty-Congress-Session-2-Engaging-Learning
d) Bloglike-After-the-Presentation Version is as follows
I've been a school teacher for 20 years now. I love the idea of fixing classrooms to make it a conducive place where children learn and this includes: posting their works, visual aids and other printed matter; creating spaces for displays; choosing and arranging instructional resources and other materials. Part of the room preparation is visualizing small group and individual activities to make room for both collaborative and independent learning. I am able to think through my lessons when immersed in this kind of environment. The best part of classroom teaching is the fact that I still get to take the kids out anywhere on a trip, or even bring them to the outdoor area to extend their learning then come back to the classroom and learn together.
Hence when I took a leap from basic education to online teaching at the higher ed level, I found my Moodle classroom such a bore. To me then, it felt like a cubicle, with files of folders, a mere storage of documents with a table in the middle for those who happen to drop by and consult. Sometimes, I even felt like I was merely talking to myself and getting guilty for doing such a lousy job at online teaching. If I were just some government employee, I can simply be content with this set up... besides I get paid at the end of the day. I have other lives to live anyways, why bother.
But I am a teacher...I am nothing if I don't see or feel the presence of my students. How do I engage them to be able to deserve my pay? Am I even worth my title: Assistant Professor=Prof V to some? Am I cut out to teach at the higher ed in the first place?!?
Why should I even allow my Moodle course site to limit what I want to do? A good colleague of mine (a favorite in fact) showed me Google sites and it has been my toy for 2 years before I finally decided to set up a supplementary course guide/course site to make me visually engaged as a teacher. Putting my course out there, makes it visible and even open to criticisms but who cares? I want it out there like some poster/display students can view anytime. I take it as a challenge to improve and build on my course every now and then.
I just don't know whether my students find that good--the idea of moving back and forth from Moodle to Google Sites. But then, let them move with me and explore as well. Nothing to lose.
From another good colleague (in my top 5 faves), I learned a few tricks from his Science Tech & Society course site at Moodle when he gave me permission to view his classroom. Of course it made clear to me that he was doing something I didn't so why rest on what I have. Then from a younger colleague teaching Photography via Moodle, I also asked for access, to check whether my course site is as good as his and if there was a trick I haven't learned yet....(yeah, I'm a competitive female!) I mean, who wants to be labelled as an old, boring faculty member. I managed to discover < > = 'toggle html source'. My course now has interesting images and embeds of sorts...like some chocolate cake.
But you see, even as a basic ed teacher, visuals aren't enough. Discussions over at my Moodle DB's can be reliable to some extent, but the slideshow which go with the forum and past F2F lectures still seem static to me. I don't even know what to say over a moodle/google/skype chat as my chatbox is my space for socialization with colleagues and a few students. As for FB, never mind...I'd rather hangout in our Community Site, a virtual forum mounted on phpbb for other purposes which serve the program and the undergrads I'm handling...not my verrry busy grad level students. Besides, running a class in the hallway or some cafe/bar can be too distracting.
At last...WizIQ :) :) :) Here comes the icing+filling on my Google Site/Moodle chocolate cake. Yessss, I can run lectures and share my research finds to students. I get direct feedback and comments, and for once be the one to receive stars=ratings for my teaching performance. I hear student voices and chatter (rooster crowing as well), it makes me feel alive. I review the recorded versions of my classes and I get to examine my facial expressions and oral language. (And boy, I need to practice and so I do pilot tests/ dry runs, lol).
With a few cosmetic touches, I look cute enough to draw attention and sustain it with good content delivery via my powerpoint and screenshare. I get to set the tone and at the same time, sense my students' presence, so I know when it's time to brainstorm and listen to their concerns as I pass on the audio control. When I need to scratch my nose, I turn off my video and the class goes on as usual. They hear me sniffle of course but hey, that makes me more human! And they're free to sniffle back by the way. One time, my son kissed me goodnight and of course I heard an "awwwh' from the background.
Once I tried an F2F, with the live class (like a webinar) for other students who couldn't be with us. In the future perhaps, I should invest in an external mic, or be better skilled with simply switching headsets from me to others in class--that should still do.
During my earlier trial stints at WizIQ, I used the media player to show one of Enrique Iglesia's milder videos so we can listen to the lyrics of Heartbeat for my session on Poetry 4 Beginners, a class I set up with my labrats specifically to test the WizIQ features. Now I get to enjoy entering my class 15 minutes earlier to upload content while I play the music of Ke$ha (hmmm, I can make my own MTV here at WizIQ!!!..if only it can make my video space bigger to occupy the whiteboard space).
Lately, I've been into watching recorded classes of exemplary teachers at WizIQ and learning lots about their teaching styles and how they skillfully manage the WizIQ live classroom features and simultaneously manage their online teaching whilst students manage their online learning.
Recently, thru WizIQ, I learned about IT4ALL=Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning where I participated in a class to learn more about Personalized E-Portfolios. With classmates from different parts of the world, I got to benchmark what I know and learn additional tools for mounting my own ePortfolio whilst encouraging my student-teachers to come up with their own. I now have research blending with teaching and my own learning. It's making me whole and scholarly, naxxx.
Yes, it is quite obvious I now enjoy having my class at Moodle and adding more apps at my Google Sites and to both platforms actually. Now and even more with WizIQ, it seems that my classroom teaching is complete. This is like me, setting up my class (moving furniture and doing this and that) to engage myself into teaching, and only hope that my students are equally engaging and learning with me.
I'll worry about that later on. For now, I deserve to eat my sweets. Let me have my gggggoogle, mmmmoodle chocolate cake with the WizIQ icing and eat it, too! Online teaching can be as yummmie, you see.
Wanna taste my chocolate cake? I've shared enough so go ahead and make your own with this basic recipe: Google + Moodle + WizIQ. Have funnn :)
Well, I was able to cook up versions which you can find here:
a) Text Version @Google Sites: https://sites.google.com/site/iteacherguroako/engaging-learners
b) Dry Run recorded version @WizIQ: http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/594358-upou-faculty-congress-session-2-engaging-learners-dry-run
c) Tutorial Version @WizIQ: http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/159230-UPOU-Faculty-Congress-Session-2-Engaging-Learning
d) Bloglike-After-the-Presentation Version is as follows
I've been a school teacher for 20 years now. I love the idea of fixing classrooms to make it a conducive place where children learn and this includes: posting their works, visual aids and other printed matter; creating spaces for displays; choosing and arranging instructional resources and other materials. Part of the room preparation is visualizing small group and individual activities to make room for both collaborative and independent learning. I am able to think through my lessons when immersed in this kind of environment. The best part of classroom teaching is the fact that I still get to take the kids out anywhere on a trip, or even bring them to the outdoor area to extend their learning then come back to the classroom and learn together.
Hence when I took a leap from basic education to online teaching at the higher ed level, I found my Moodle classroom such a bore. To me then, it felt like a cubicle, with files of folders, a mere storage of documents with a table in the middle for those who happen to drop by and consult. Sometimes, I even felt like I was merely talking to myself and getting guilty for doing such a lousy job at online teaching. If I were just some government employee, I can simply be content with this set up... besides I get paid at the end of the day. I have other lives to live anyways, why bother.
But I am a teacher...I am nothing if I don't see or feel the presence of my students. How do I engage them to be able to deserve my pay? Am I even worth my title: Assistant Professor=Prof V to some? Am I cut out to teach at the higher ed in the first place?!?
Why should I even allow my Moodle course site to limit what I want to do? A good colleague of mine (a favorite in fact) showed me Google sites and it has been my toy for 2 years before I finally decided to set up a supplementary course guide/course site to make me visually engaged as a teacher. Putting my course out there, makes it visible and even open to criticisms but who cares? I want it out there like some poster/display students can view anytime. I take it as a challenge to improve and build on my course every now and then.
I just don't know whether my students find that good--the idea of moving back and forth from Moodle to Google Sites. But then, let them move with me and explore as well. Nothing to lose.
From another good colleague (in my top 5 faves), I learned a few tricks from his Science Tech & Society course site at Moodle when he gave me permission to view his classroom. Of course it made clear to me that he was doing something I didn't so why rest on what I have. Then from a younger colleague teaching Photography via Moodle, I also asked for access, to check whether my course site is as good as his and if there was a trick I haven't learned yet....(yeah, I'm a competitive female!) I mean, who wants to be labelled as an old, boring faculty member. I managed to discover < > = 'toggle html source'. My course now has interesting images and embeds of sorts...like some chocolate cake.
But you see, even as a basic ed teacher, visuals aren't enough. Discussions over at my Moodle DB's can be reliable to some extent, but the slideshow which go with the forum and past F2F lectures still seem static to me. I don't even know what to say over a moodle/google/skype chat as my chatbox is my space for socialization with colleagues and a few students. As for FB, never mind...I'd rather hangout in our Community Site, a virtual forum mounted on phpbb for other purposes which serve the program and the undergrads I'm handling...not my verrry busy grad level students. Besides, running a class in the hallway or some cafe/bar can be too distracting.
At last...WizIQ :) :) :) Here comes the icing+filling on my Google Site/Moodle chocolate cake. Yessss, I can run lectures and share my research finds to students. I get direct feedback and comments, and for once be the one to receive stars=ratings for my teaching performance. I hear student voices and chatter (rooster crowing as well), it makes me feel alive. I review the recorded versions of my classes and I get to examine my facial expressions and oral language. (And boy, I need to practice and so I do pilot tests/ dry runs, lol).
With a few cosmetic touches, I look cute enough to draw attention and sustain it with good content delivery via my powerpoint and screenshare. I get to set the tone and at the same time, sense my students' presence, so I know when it's time to brainstorm and listen to their concerns as I pass on the audio control. When I need to scratch my nose, I turn off my video and the class goes on as usual. They hear me sniffle of course but hey, that makes me more human! And they're free to sniffle back by the way. One time, my son kissed me goodnight and of course I heard an "awwwh' from the background.
Once I tried an F2F, with the live class (like a webinar) for other students who couldn't be with us. In the future perhaps, I should invest in an external mic, or be better skilled with simply switching headsets from me to others in class--that should still do.
During my earlier trial stints at WizIQ, I used the media player to show one of Enrique Iglesia's milder videos so we can listen to the lyrics of Heartbeat for my session on Poetry 4 Beginners, a class I set up with my labrats specifically to test the WizIQ features. Now I get to enjoy entering my class 15 minutes earlier to upload content while I play the music of Ke$ha (hmmm, I can make my own MTV here at WizIQ!!!..if only it can make my video space bigger to occupy the whiteboard space).
Lately, I've been into watching recorded classes of exemplary teachers at WizIQ and learning lots about their teaching styles and how they skillfully manage the WizIQ live classroom features and simultaneously manage their online teaching whilst students manage their online learning.
Recently, thru WizIQ, I learned about IT4ALL=Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning where I participated in a class to learn more about Personalized E-Portfolios. With classmates from different parts of the world, I got to benchmark what I know and learn additional tools for mounting my own ePortfolio whilst encouraging my student-teachers to come up with their own. I now have research blending with teaching and my own learning. It's making me whole and scholarly, naxxx.
Yes, it is quite obvious I now enjoy having my class at Moodle and adding more apps at my Google Sites and to both platforms actually. Now and even more with WizIQ, it seems that my classroom teaching is complete. This is like me, setting up my class (moving furniture and doing this and that) to engage myself into teaching, and only hope that my students are equally engaging and learning with me.
I'll worry about that later on. For now, I deserve to eat my sweets. Let me have my gggggoogle, mmmmoodle chocolate cake with the WizIQ icing and eat it, too! Online teaching can be as yummmie, you see.
Wanna taste my chocolate cake? I've shared enough so go ahead and make your own with this basic recipe: Google + Moodle + WizIQ. Have funnn :)
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