Module 6 Reflection

Map Comparison

 

It’s amazing how education shapes and morphs your opinion of things.

My second concept map reflects the changes that have occurred in my thinking over the past seven weeks. While my first was a series of separate points interconnected with various lines, my second presents a much more holistic approach based on my new way of thinking. Last week I wrote about my realization that the best thing about online education is that it truly provides the 1 to 1 student to teacher ratio within the class. That realization truly changed things for me. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. So much so that this second assignment is less a concept map and more a concept graphic just as, in my opinion, adult education is less a series of individual tools and much more like a mosaic where individual tiles are assembled to create a larger picture.

The 24/7 instructor and student lie in the center of this graphic. Their symbiotic relationship dictates the success of a course.  The instructor must provide the material to the students, but equally as important, the students need to participate and provide material and feedback to the instructor and to each other. Only by this occurring can the class truly be successful. 

This central concept is surrounded by four cornerstones of a successful class. The class must be organized with the students knowing not only what is expected of them, but when it is expected. The virtual classroom must be positive environment, where all members are respectful of others. All members of the class should be engaged, each contributing their shared experiences. Lastly, each must be prepared. This is to say that the instructor should be ready to present the material and respond to feedback and the students must be prepared to learn and actively participate. 

Future Impact

This course has solidified, in my mind, the type of teacher I want to be and the amount of work that lies ahead. As previously mentioned, I intend on completing all modules of the course I developed this semester in order to offer it to up and coming educators. During my time in this course and in the program, I’ve observed my peers struggle, or worse simplify, because the learning curves for the various software tools were so steep. I want to help with this and feel my IT background can help. I was a technical instructor. Now, I believe I’m ready to be a teacher of those who teach. While my undergraduate degree is in IT, I had already taught myself the tools I used to obtain that degree way before I ever applied to UMass. By doing this, I had already made all the mistakes that could possibly be made, and nothing solidifies knowledge like failure. 

In many ways, I’m glad that this course was my final undertaking before submitting my portfolio. I entered the program with a deep desire to bring the best educational tools to my “wrench guys” at the nuclear power plant. While I still want to do that, I’ve discovered that there is another group of individuals who could be helped by my diversity of knowledge. While my initial desires are profitable, I honestly believe that training those who will train the next generation may actually be more fulfilling.

Module 5 Reflection

One of the greatest things about education is the clarity if offers to those who purse it. At a minimum, it will increase the knowledge level of the student, however, at its best, it will shape and change beliefs.

Five weeks ago, I was asked to evaluate online education for its strengths and weaknesses. One of the most poignant questions, for me, was whether I thought being an online instructor was easier or harder than being a teacher in a traditional brick and mortar environment. At the time, I must confess, I thought to myself that being an online instructor was infinitely easier than face to face teaching in a classroom. In fact, throughout the last four years, I have been extolling how easy it would be to make a buck being an online professor, telling friends and family, “ All you need do is create a course, meet once a week for chats, answer a few emails and collect $2,500 at the end of the semester.” I honestly thought this to be true based on my experiences with online learning, but three days ago, all that changed.

I was discussing things with my wife, alright, not discussing, but complaining. I was complaining about how I thought my classmates were turning out less than quality material. I wondered aloud why they, teachers by trade, weren’t challenging themselves when developing a course. Why they used links to the work of others rather than creating the material themselves. My wife, in an attempt to placate me, suggested the reason that I was resentful was that I was a true believer in online education and the possibilities it offered and was therefore resentful of peers not fully taking advantage of those possibilities. 

Then it hit me. 

For four years I had been excited about online education because I believed that it created 24/7 students, but I had only been half right. Not only does online education create 24/7 students, it creates 24/7 teachers. The true marvel of learning/teaching online lies in the fact that it truly creates the 1 to 1 teacher to student ratio that educators have sought for years.

When saying this, understand that I am not referring to the Massively Enormous Monstrosity Courses that are offered by sites like Coursera. They have their place and are a pleasant diversion when someone want to learn for fun. No, I’m referring to courses such as this where a limited number of students sign up and are held accountable for their performance. If a student fails a Coursera class due to lack of effort, they just move on. The consequences for failing a course such as this are far greater and forces the student to keep up with the work or suffer the consequences.

It is the synergy of the engaged student and the engaged instructor that creates the previously mentioned 1 to 1 ration. During the time that the course is being conducted, instructor and learner are in contact 24/7. Email programs are tied to cellphones, which are never very far away. At any time, day or night, the learner may contact the instructor with a question. Now, rather than raising their hand, they simply send a text or an email. The instructor, wherever they are, reads the communication, and if they are committed to being the best teacher they can be, responds almost immediately and the 1 to 1 ratio is affirmed.

The reason I’ve chosen this example for this particular blog post is because this was truly the most rewarding thing that I will take from this project, and in fact, this course. I’ve used Moodle before so there were no difficulties there, although I must admit that I wish there were more than four or five template offerings. I enjoy creating online content for courses and can’t wait to offer my own. However, it is not very often that I can say that a course has changed my way of thinking, that it has affected what I believe, and this one has and, as I am now ready to submit my portfolio, at exactly the right time.