I am looking forward to the day when this blog can be about my own thoughts, not someone elses. In a few short weeks, win-lose pass-fail this journey in my life will be closed. My life will be my own. I have mentally checked out long ago... but I am determined to see this through to fruition. When I do, I can't wait to hijack my own blog and start writing creatively again, rather than just scholarly.
When I became a nurse my intention was to become a writer.
Now I am trying to become a nursing instructor.... and I feel drawn back to the creative side of me. To writing once again.
Life is a funny bunch of contradictions like that.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Blog 4 R2D2
When designing online learning experiences it is important to be mindful of the diverse ways individuals process information. The R2D2 model for online learning provides a basis to guide instructors in addressing diversity in learning. Read, reflect, display and do are the directives for R2D2. These activities are based on Kolb’s learning styles (Bonk, August 2006).
Reading may involve visual and auditory stimulus. Podcast, synchronous and asynchronous meetings are ways to enhance the learner’s reading experiences. These activities are especially important for learners who may learn best from auditory stimuli. Reading may involve articles, book assignments, FAQs, chats, discussions, etc. When reading activities are paired with meaningful visuals such as photographs, graphs, etc, learning activities are enhanced. These visuals need to be more than decorative to impact the effectiveness of learning. Multimedia presentations, utilizing visual, auditory and interactive online classroom materials are very effective in enhancing the learning experience. (Clark, 2008)
Reflecting combined with reading may be done in blogging as well as chat room experiences. Reflecting gives the learner an opportunity to process and construct knowledge. Online debate and journaling gives the learner opportunities for reflective learning. The advantage to online reflective opportunities versus actual classroom is that the learner has time to think about and prepare a response utilizing multiple resources available through the classroom site, as well as others. These type of activities may appeal best to observational learners (Bonk, August 2006).
Displaying provides multiple visual demonstrations in online learning communities. Displaying uses written words as well as graphics. It is important to remember that visual learners may do best with graphics, charts and concept maps to illustrate a point. Displaying is widely used in online learning communities. Graphic illustrations are sometimes made more effective with auditory effects as well (Bonk, August 2006).
The last component of R2D2 is doing. These activities are designed with the kinesthetic learner in mind. Doing activities may present the biggest challenge for online classrooms. They usually involve muscle memory and physical activity. In online learning communities doing may be accomplished by stimulations, case studies and interactive gaming (Bonk, August 2006).
Traditional classrooms were taught to appeal most to auditory learners. Kolb’s theories helped teachers understand the diverse learning needs of their students. The most important thing to remember when designing an online classroom is that learners and their learning styles are widely varied. Also, no individual learns best just from one type of learning experience. Using a model such as R2D2 assists instructors in developing learning sites that will enhance students’ overall experience and effective acquisition of new knowledge.
Works Cited
Bonk, C. &. (August 2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of this world. Distance Education, Volume 27 # 2 , 249-64.
Clark, R. &. (2008). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Reading may involve visual and auditory stimulus. Podcast, synchronous and asynchronous meetings are ways to enhance the learner’s reading experiences. These activities are especially important for learners who may learn best from auditory stimuli. Reading may involve articles, book assignments, FAQs, chats, discussions, etc. When reading activities are paired with meaningful visuals such as photographs, graphs, etc, learning activities are enhanced. These visuals need to be more than decorative to impact the effectiveness of learning. Multimedia presentations, utilizing visual, auditory and interactive online classroom materials are very effective in enhancing the learning experience. (Clark, 2008)
Reflecting combined with reading may be done in blogging as well as chat room experiences. Reflecting gives the learner an opportunity to process and construct knowledge. Online debate and journaling gives the learner opportunities for reflective learning. The advantage to online reflective opportunities versus actual classroom is that the learner has time to think about and prepare a response utilizing multiple resources available through the classroom site, as well as others. These type of activities may appeal best to observational learners (Bonk, August 2006).
Displaying provides multiple visual demonstrations in online learning communities. Displaying uses written words as well as graphics. It is important to remember that visual learners may do best with graphics, charts and concept maps to illustrate a point. Displaying is widely used in online learning communities. Graphic illustrations are sometimes made more effective with auditory effects as well (Bonk, August 2006).
The last component of R2D2 is doing. These activities are designed with the kinesthetic learner in mind. Doing activities may present the biggest challenge for online classrooms. They usually involve muscle memory and physical activity. In online learning communities doing may be accomplished by stimulations, case studies and interactive gaming (Bonk, August 2006).
Traditional classrooms were taught to appeal most to auditory learners. Kolb’s theories helped teachers understand the diverse learning needs of their students. The most important thing to remember when designing an online classroom is that learners and their learning styles are widely varied. Also, no individual learns best just from one type of learning experience. Using a model such as R2D2 assists instructors in developing learning sites that will enhance students’ overall experience and effective acquisition of new knowledge.
Works Cited
Bonk, C. &. (August 2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of this world. Distance Education, Volume 27 # 2 , 249-64.
Clark, R. &. (2008). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Death of Aristotle’s World
The Death of Aristotle’s World
We know longer live in a world where one can read from every book or document written as Aristotle once believed (Bonk, 2009). We are over inundated with information on a daily basis. Information overload is a part of the internet, television, radio… We can watch the world burn in real time from half a world away. Some learners will become over stimulated by the barrage of constant information choosing to shut off the stimulus. Others may recognize that no one can know it all and choose to work in teams. A generation of technological savvy individuals actually prefers group work to working alone (Billings, 2005). As a member of generation X this is a difficult phenomenon for me to accept. However, the ever-changing world puts higher demands on the learner and instructor facilitating these generational adaptations.
When I was a young girl, I dreamed of being a published author. I had fantasies about traveling to New York City, finally getting my work accepted by a publisher and traveling the world to promote my novel. Now, I can be published in minutes online. One good television or internet promotion and my book is available to readers in seconds. The world truly is open to those who embrace that concept. Blogging enables authors who would never be recognized by the formal world of publishers to get their work to the public on their own.
According to the reading this week there are three larger trends converging in the world of online learning, the availability of tools/infrastructure , the availability of free/open educational content, and lastly a movement toward a global culture, collaborating and sharing in the learning experience (Bonk, 2009).
The world of information has grown so large there is no way one can process it. While at the same time the physical world has gotten smaller with the advent of the internet. We can Skype with someone halfway across the world overcoming time and distance. Learning has changed. With free access sites such as Google scholar, one can access educational pieces from home. No more long hours at the library research all the old periodicals for scholarly articles. With a click of the mouse in the right search engine, one’s questions can be answered relatively quickly. In the distant past many texts could not be accessed except by the elite. Books were sacred, reserved for only a few. Now, through free and open educational servers books may be accessed by virtually anyone.
With the proper pipes for delivery (bandwidth), the pages of many books can be delivered to anyone in any area of the world. Truly the world is open.
Works Cited
Billings, D. &. (2005). Teaching in Nursing A Guide for Faculty. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elseiver.
Bonk, C. (2009). The World is Open How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
We know longer live in a world where one can read from every book or document written as Aristotle once believed (Bonk, 2009). We are over inundated with information on a daily basis. Information overload is a part of the internet, television, radio… We can watch the world burn in real time from half a world away. Some learners will become over stimulated by the barrage of constant information choosing to shut off the stimulus. Others may recognize that no one can know it all and choose to work in teams. A generation of technological savvy individuals actually prefers group work to working alone (Billings, 2005). As a member of generation X this is a difficult phenomenon for me to accept. However, the ever-changing world puts higher demands on the learner and instructor facilitating these generational adaptations.
When I was a young girl, I dreamed of being a published author. I had fantasies about traveling to New York City, finally getting my work accepted by a publisher and traveling the world to promote my novel. Now, I can be published in minutes online. One good television or internet promotion and my book is available to readers in seconds. The world truly is open to those who embrace that concept. Blogging enables authors who would never be recognized by the formal world of publishers to get their work to the public on their own.
According to the reading this week there are three larger trends converging in the world of online learning, the availability of tools/infrastructure , the availability of free/open educational content, and lastly a movement toward a global culture, collaborating and sharing in the learning experience (Bonk, 2009).
The world of information has grown so large there is no way one can process it. While at the same time the physical world has gotten smaller with the advent of the internet. We can Skype with someone halfway across the world overcoming time and distance. Learning has changed. With free access sites such as Google scholar, one can access educational pieces from home. No more long hours at the library research all the old periodicals for scholarly articles. With a click of the mouse in the right search engine, one’s questions can be answered relatively quickly. In the distant past many texts could not be accessed except by the elite. Books were sacred, reserved for only a few. Now, through free and open educational servers books may be accessed by virtually anyone.
With the proper pipes for delivery (bandwidth), the pages of many books can be delivered to anyone in any area of the world. Truly the world is open.
Works Cited
Billings, D. &. (2005). Teaching in Nursing A Guide for Faculty. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elseiver.
Bonk, C. (2009). The World is Open How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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