Creatively Redesigning Classes
The Need for Change
There are a lot of courses that come to mind when I consider my campus’s need for improvement. If I had to narrow the courses down to just two that I could redesign, I would choose the ELAR class and the History class.
I have always been a fan of learning. However, now that I have gotten older, I have come to realize and understand that the old method may not be the best method. Keeping that thought in mind, I believe that learning should be fun and exciting and more than that, it should be enjoyable.
Currently the ELAR class is very traditional. The teacher lectures and the students take notes. The class will occasionally have a pop quiz to see who has ben paying attention or taking the best notes I suppose. Just like every other class, there are tests that take place as well. While the teacher has the right agenda, the methods are very wrong, the method that is currently in place is not in any way capturing the minds of the students. The information is being put in one ear and running out the next ear. The minds of our youth today are small. For that very reason we must be highly creative with our approach and think outside the box. I would redesign the course with the COVA method in mind. For each lesson, I would redesign the classroom with a different theme. I would assign students different parts of the textbook as a group and I would allow them to teach that part to myself and the class. Also, when it comes to the literature part of the course, I would dress up as a character from that genre or time period. I would allow my students to dress up as well. We would have an interactive story time telling each other about the characters that we are all dressed up as. I would also implement different games that would take the place of quizzes and I would allow more time for students to participate and not just have them sit in the seat for the duration of the class.
History class is much like the English course. A lot of students frequently come into my Library and complain to me about how boring their History class is. The main point the students conveyed to me was that they got tired of doing the same thing. The students said they would do book reports or oral reports from different decades and that just got old. Listening to tapings from different world wars just caused them to yawn and not have a desire to do anything else other than sleep. This is the very reason that I feel like that course needs some redesigning. History is about the past, but it does not mean that we must live in the past. I believe that we can teach the past while embracing the present and looking towards the future. I would incorporate a lot of games into History class. One of which we have played in the Library that the students really enjoyed. We would play things such as Historical Pictionary and participate in a historical scavenger hunt. Of course, playing games is no fun without prizes. The students would play for exciting things such as a free homework pass. Now this does not mean no homework, it means that they get to decide what the homework assignment should be. An important element in playing the educational games is important. The important element that I am speaking of is participation. I myself would be participating in all the games played while in history class. Now, lecturing will still take place but with a much different approach. Depending on the lesson, different props and tools would be used to convey the message. For instance, if I was teaching a lesson on the Boston Tea Party, I might have students drink tea while in class on that day. If I was talking about the time period before the lights were invented, we might have a small period of our class in the dark. It is so important to have fun with your students while teaching. You are always trying to teach two lessons each time they step foot into your classroom. One lesson is that of the material that you are teaching. The other lesson that you are teaching is how important learning really is.
Planning an Online Course
The Technological Road to Success
The first assignment given in 5318 Instructional Design of Online Learning class was to create a plan for using a Learning Management System. I have provided my plan below. It includes an instructional timeline as well as my UbD plan.
Introduction: Gone are the days of students using a piece of paper and a pencil to complete their assignments. Students’ are becoming more and more discouraged when faced with the pressure of having to sit in the classroom at their desk and write. Today eportfolios have become the new way to complete assignments and turn them in. This is
because eportfolios give students a dynamic tool to work with. This tool helps
individuals truly showcase their abilities.
Learning Goals:
Students will utilize technology to reflect on their learning through the creation, management and use of eportfolios.
Students will gain an understanding of their own strengths and characteristics as a learner.
Students will learn how to set and establish goals as well as create a timeline of how they will achieve set goals.
Desired Results:
Students will be able to:
Create,design and manage their own eportfolio
Use their eportfolio to complete and turn in all assignments
Create and and manage their own blog
Create video diaries of their progress each six weeks period
Create a weekly goal chart to monitor their progress weekly
Audience:
My audience is 7th grade students at Collins Middle School in Lake Worth
Independent School District. The students have 1:1 chrome books. The students are permitted to take their chrome books home so they are able to access their eportfolios at home.
To continue viewing my Learning Management System Implementation Plan, please click the link below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11aIUEQeRszkbBDDkobEd544Gbc5VK0UmWPtAEa13chM/edit?usp=sharing
My Detailed Outline for My Course
Week 1: Detailed Outline (Monday, September 7-Friday, September 11)
This week you will be focused on the foundational aspect of this course. After this week, you will be able to answer the main two questions of this course: What on earth is an eportfolio and what can it do for me?
Here are the things that you will need to complete for this week:
Please be sure to read everything carefully so that you do not miss anything.
1. Prior to the first virtual class meeting, please watch the video, “What is an eportfolio?” The link can be found in the folder labeled week 1.
This video will give you a better idea and understanding of the purpose of the entire course as well as the final project you will be completing. Be sure to pay attention to the video as it will highlight some key factors that you will need to consider for your first activity.
b. Watch the video, “How to use KWLS” and complete the K and W. The link for this video can be found in the resource folder. The chart can be found in the week 1 folder.
This will give you an opportunity to make an educated guess and it will give you an opportunity to plan your learning. Consider it a fun way of really getting to know yourself.
2. After our first class meeting, you will have the remainder of the week to watch the video “ Eportfolios in Schools.” You will then need to complete the comprehension questions that follow. This assignment will help encourage reading comprehension skills as well as creative writing skills.
Complete week 1 of your planner. Remember you are listing all assignments and activities for the week. This activity is to help encourage organization and to motivate you to stay on task. Therefore, it does not need to be turned in
Be sure to attend our virtual class on Monday September 7th at 6:30 pm. If you forget how to attend, you can always find the link in the class meetings folder located on the main page.
Once you have completed all of the assignments and activities listed above, you will have 2 items that will need to be turned in.
1. Complete your weekly video diary- Your video diary should be a 1 to 3 minute video about your discoveries this week. This should be about your strengths and weaknesses that you have as it relates to week one.
a. You can make a video on flip grid, the link can be found on the main page. You may also use your own personal device and upload it to our class’ YouTube page . The link to the class YouTube page can be found in the resource folder.
2. Reflect on your learning for the week.
This reflection should be at least 4 to 6 sentences long and it should be about what you learned this week. This is also the point where you complete the “L” section of your K-W-L chart. Remember just as we discussed in our first class meeting, your reflection should include a problem that you had this week and the solution you found for it or you may share an “Ah-Ha!” experience that you had. Remember our “Ah-Ha!” experiences are our success stories and relate to how we learned how to be successful during our learning process. Be sur tom upload this assignment in the week 1 folder.
Week 2: Detailed Outline (September 14-September 18)
You have now ready to start creating your own eportfolio. This is the fun part. I hope you were paying attention to the videos. The platform that we will be using for the creation of your eportfolios is WIX. The site is www.wix.com
Here are the steps you need to follow for this week:
1. Preview my eportfolio example located in the resource folder. This will help you with the designing of your eportfolio.
a. Be sure to consider your creativity when designing your eportfolio. You are not to copy the design of my eportfolio. I have provided you with mine as a means to inspire you and to give you ideas of what an eportfolio is suppose to look like. In case you get confused when looking at my example please refer to the video on how to create an eportfolio. Watching the video is optional, however it would be a good idea to watch int because it could help you when it is time to write your weekly reflection and also with your video diary.
You want to be sure that when you are creating your eportfolio that you are remaining unique to you.
Be sure to attend our virtual class on Monday September 14th at 6:30 pm. If you forget how to attend, you can always find the link in the class meetings folder located on the main page.
2. Once you have figured out the design of your eportfolio, you are to pick a template from the site that I have approved and provided which is wix.com Please refer the do’s and don’ts folder located on the main page. This will help guide you and make you aware of approved material and information that you can put on your site.
3. Now you are at the point where you are to fill out the “L”-what you learned section of the KWLS chart, as well as the “S” section-what you still want to learn.
4. Now you are going to write a summary. For this summary, you will write about the 3 things that you learned about eportfolios and how you plan on incorporating those things into your own eportfolio.
Remember that you will need to post this discussion and comment on at least 1 of your classmates post. You may write your post or you may upload a video comment. You are to be discussing your strengths and weaknesses of creating an eportfolio. If you are posting about your weaknesses you need to include the obstacles you faced and how you overcame them or how you plan to overcome them. If you are posting about your strengths then you need to include the steps you took that made your experience a success.
5. Now is the time that you reflect on your learning for the week. a. You can make a video on flip grid. The link can be found on the main page under resources. You can also complete a written reflection as well. Remember that this reflection is unique to your own personal experience and opinion. This is about what you learned and how you feel. This needs to be uploaded under week 2.
To view my full outline, please click the link:
My OSCQR Score Card
The OSCQR score card is a checklist that allows the users to review their own online courses to make sure they have covered necessary standards in making the virtual learning experience a very great one
My Action Plan for My OSCQR Score Card Revisions
With any great plan there unfortunately, will be great obstacles. For this very reason, I knew that after completing my score card, that I needed to have an action plan in place.
My Appearance and Overall Look
While I believe that my course and its features are very simplistic and easy to navigate through, I do realize that I definitely need to take the time to go back and reevaluate the layout and lack of creativity. I feel that I need to do a better job in drawing my learners in. I want to make them want to participate and want to look at the screen. When I look at my course, as much as I love it, I have to be honest. It looks boring and unappealing to the eye. To be able to have audio visuals and a bitmoji classroom would be a huge asset and an overall improvement.
My Coursework and Its Future
Overall I feel like my coursework was pretty solid. I will say that I needed to have implemented more creative activities and assignments. A lot of the things that I had my learners doing were the same thing for each week. I need to focus on creating versatile lessons and activities to appeal to different audiences. I would also like to allow my learners to create their own individual zooms so that they can collaborate with their peers on different projects, assignments and activities. This would also be a great way to keep track on the learner’s progress and participation in the course as well.
The Timeline and The Game Plan
To create a timeline is very doable at this point. The only problem that I see is being able to achieve those set goals in a timely manner. The last thing that I want to do is lay out a game plan and take forever to do it. I think a very honest focus to have at this point would be to increase the overall look and visibility of my course as well as to create a “wow” factor that will pull students in.
Online Courses and LMS
Through this course, I have discovered several online platforms that will help me in online course design as well as the blended learning environment in my school.
Schoology – This platform has an open design which allows for creative development and implementation of online courses.
Google Classroom – This is the standard for my school. We are a G-Suite district, so Google Classroom is the easiest way to implement online/blended learning in our school. Our students are used to it and it’s relatively easy to use. Some aspects of online learning are difficult, though. Discussion boards are “clunky” and difficult to use. Despite its limitations, it is a simple platform for posting assignments and receiving submissions.
Engage2Learn – This is the LMS adopted by my school district’s Humanities program. It is a project-based learning system and allows for customization of learning activities, assessments, and resource management. There is a learning curve for teachers and students, but once it is learned, is a powerful online platform for collaboration.
Coursera – This MOOC platform is a great way to bring quality learning wherever you are. I like the idea of MOOCs and hope they can develop into a more consistent way to learn.
Reflection
As I have progressed through EDLD 5318, I have had to consider the path of my learners. This class has been about online course design. I discovered that in order to design a quality online course, I have to think about how my learners are processing the assignments, resources, and assessment activities. Without the direct daily contact, I have to write my instructions explicitly and have open avenues for communication when my students have questions.
There are several instructional design theories that lend themselves to the development of online courses. Bates (2015) references the ADDIE model of instructional design, with the five steps consisting of Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. This model makes sense and might be the best model to follow because of its flexibility. This model could apply not only to online courses but face-to-face classes. Good course design demands an analysis of the course outcomes and goals, a consideration of the design structure of the class and how it will be implemented, a process of development that answers the questions asked in the first two stages, implementation of the course as it is planned, and constant evaluation through the course as well as a final summative evaluation of the success of the course. This would be a good model to follow for all course design. Rather than depending on a traditional scope & sequence, we should encourage all teachers to evaluate their courses and consider a thoughtful course design path. Another instructional design theory that could be valuable is the Situated Cognition Theory (Pappas, 2017). This theory suggests that learning and doing cannot be separated. It is important for people to apply what they know within a clear context. This fits the models of learning that claim learning must take place in a relevant context, with relevant questions. The situated cognition theory also says learning takes place within a social environment that includes discussion and group problem-solving. This design theory fits the contemporary e-learning focus because it allows students to explore relevant problems in authentic ways while discussing learning objectives with peers. This theory seems to fit well with the ADDIE model discussed above. Our classes should not only be thoroughly planned and evaluated, but they should also provide the opportunity for collaboration within a relevant context. In the course design used for this class, the ADDIE model was the main source of design inspiration. The situated cognition theory, though, would be a good supplement to the course design. I included opportunities for collaboration through discussion and opportunities for knowledge application within a relevant context. Though I didn’t consider the situated cognition theory, it still has a place in my course design.
The course I designed for this class relied exclusively on the UbD design model (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 22). I used the UbD design template to develop not only the module activities and assignments, but also to process the learning goals and outcomes. The template helped me to work through what students would understand, what they would be able to do with their knowledge, and what misconceptions they might have as they worked through the learning standards. The UbD template also helped me consider the evidence of learning as I developed assessments. Finally, the UbD template was valuable as I processed the learning plan and course design. It helped me to understand not only what the learning standards and objectives were, but what activities would guide my students to understanding and application of the learning objectives. Overall, the UbD model was helpful as I processed the design of this course.
Online learning is not a new trend. It dates to the 1970s (Bates, 2015, p. 138). With the advent of new technology and ubiquitous internet access, however, the online community has grown and is more likely and willing to participate in collaborative learning environments within an online context. Online learning is a way to bring the classroom into the home and turn learning into a lifelong pursuit, rather than simply something one must do to enter the “real world.” Online learning is also important in a contemporary school and professional context. Online learning can be used to supplement face-to-face class time, professional development, training in businesses, or distance learning. Online learning is important for my students so they can apply learning objectives to relevant situations in a real-world context. It is also important because online tasks can be completed within the time-frame of the student. This allows for a more personal pursuit of the information and for a more creative outlet in the presentation of knowledge. Students develop ownership of their learning and learn how to express their unique voice in the process of their education. Blended, hybrid, and online education environments will allow schools to develop beyond the industrial model of education and help meet the needs of individual learners.
Online education demands a shift in pedagogy from teacher-centered to learner-centered. Without the physical proximity of teacher and student the course goals, instructions, activities, and assessments must be clearly and explicitly stated. The learners take control of their own learning and progress through the course at their own pace. This gives the learner more control and ownership of their learning. They develop their own voice and display their learning to an authentic audience. This pedagogy shift must also take place in our face-to-face classes. Mastery should be the goal of learning. Seat-time and standardized assessments are useless in determining the overall skill and aptitude of a student. When learners apply their knowledge in a real context, their learning becomes more evident. This isn’t limited to an online environment. Though technology allows us flexibility, we can easily transition the online model into a traditional setting and transform that setting through blended learning. Students should oversee their own learning. Learner-centered pedagogy must become the norm. Good course design leads to learner-centered classes.
Universal Design for Learning provides a framework for teachers to better structure the learning environment for all learners. Creating courses that are accessible to all learners is not simple and requires a great deal of planning and reflection. While the process is more difficult and time consuming than just uploading materials, the end product is worth the time and effort.
Courses that utilize UDL in the planning and implementation are more robust, produce better results for all learners, and provide opportunities for deeper learning. Ensuring that all learners, not just the majority are able to access the course provides a better experience for everyone. Learners who would have mastered the course prior to the application of UDL will find that they also improve in their performance and learning. Everyone comes to a class with a different background and different needs to be met. When teachers realize this and take it into account in their course design, everyone is more successful.
My Sources and References
Bates, A. W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Vancouver, BC: Tony Bates Associates LTD.
Pappas, C. (2017, September 2). Top 7 instructional design theories & models for your next elearning course. Retrieved from: https://elearningindustry.com/top-instructional-design-theories-models-next-elearning-course
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.