THE WISDOM YEARS – Silver College from UNUChannel on Vimeo.
Authentic Learning Activity
THE WISDOM YEARS – Silver College from UNUChannel on Vimeo.
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Finally as I wrote in our class Diigo application, incorporating the ten best practices of Boettcher is essential and I have listed some of my ideas below:
As to incorporating the ten best practices, the possibility of a synchronous session for first introductions, Canvas introductions, profiles in canvas and a open area to go to for informal discussion, like a student lounge would be ideal. I do not know if this is available on Canvas. Creating a supportive community would be easy if using Wikispace and Canvas and Diigo, much like we have in this Essentials of eLearning class. There is a place for lectures, as seen in my Wikispace. In my presentation on Wikispace, I have used a power point presentation to post expectations (I would still need to make it module specific though). Also, a variety of activities could be done on Voice Thread, in Diigo, on Wikispaces and in glogster or in a Google or other Blog.
Links for feedback like the form we did in this course, will be ideal for feedback. Also, feedback to the students on their Diigo discussions and on Voice Thread, Wikispaces and in the online form or by voice and video would be good tools to incorporate, as well. Glogster and blogs serve the purpose of evaluating and/or assessing the progress of the students as they share what they are learning. Also, our list shows even more ways the learners can get creative and be heard in their own way. Including current events into the program is an essential element in my opinion and helps stimulate creative thinking and makes the course content relevant too. Core concepts and personal learning are tied together and they should not be forgotten and will not, as I assemble my LMS content. Finally a wrap up project seems the best way to address cumulative thinking in learners.
Like any other morning I woke up and made coffee. I was going to enjoy it while I read my assignment for Module 4. A few minutes later, when I poured myself a hot steamy cup of Starbucks and sat down in front of my computer with the textbook written by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, I felt myself relaxing. As I opened my textbook, I was checking my email on line. Having been thoroughly distracted by my email, I heard a swooshing sound and felt myself suddenly being pulled into my computer! I was startled, shocked and terrified. Before I could respond, I was hurling through what appeared to be a Black Hole, into cyberspace or what seemed to be space at a horrendous speed. Suddenly I stopped abruptly and landed on my backside in a backward position.
As I looked around me, I could not figure out where I was. Everything appeared to be transparent with low grade color. As I stared at my surroundings, people began walking past me. It was at that moment I realized they looked like holograms! When I tried to speak with them (picking myself off the ground and brushing off that part of me that was still smarting a little) they ignored me. I could not read the signs on the billboards or understand what anyone was saying, as they strolled by me (without noticing me, I might add). As I watched, I thought…how odd these people seem to be walking backward.
Then into my line of vision came a person carrying books and walking quickly while looking at a watch around her neck. She certainly looked like a professor, even if she was transparent. I began following her. She walked toward a building that looked like it was part of a college, even though it was, also, transparent like the rest of this world. I continued to silently walk behind her (in my best ninja catlike form). As she walked into what appeared to be a classroom, with great trepidation, I said out loud , “Are you able to understand me?”
She cocked her head in my direction, just a little bit, and said, “You are a bit forward, are you not?” I looked at her and asked, “You think I am forward?” She just looked back at me with a slight smile on her lips. I wondered why she seemed amused and continued, “I am lost and don’t know how to get back.” “Where are you going?” she inquired. “I want to go back,” I stated exasperated. I quickly added, “…where I came from.” She justed stared at me. Concentrating on me, she asked, “Where did you come from.” “I don’t know,” I replied. “Well,” she said thoughtfully, and then added “…I can’t help you.”
So there I was. I found myself somewhere in a cyberspace virtual world, not understanding the language, not know where I came from or how I got where I was. I was impaled on the horns of a real dilemma. I was thirsty; hungry (for potato salad, I might add) and feeling very alone. I asked her, “Where am I?” She answered thoughtfully; “you are in Backward Design. “ “May I ask your name? “ I asked. She smiled and said, “of course; I am Rosseforp Nej. “ “Oh!” I replied. Then as though I had been hit by a ton of bricks, I suddenly understood why I couldn’t understand…everything here was Backward. “I have to ask the right questions to get where I am going,” I stated. She smiled and said, “Exactly, you must ask the essential questions.” Thinking about what she had just said I asked, “If I get to the Big Idea by asking the right questions, will I be able to understand understanding?” She was moving about the room adjusting something I did not quite understand, she looked at me and said bluntly, “of course.”
Suddenly I had that aha moment! I said, “I must live forward; but to get where I want to go I have to move backward, correct?” “Yes,” she said looking directly at me. Okay, I got it! I looked at her again and realized she was manipulating hologram objects on a huge computer. She was actually touching and moving hologram objects! “So,” I said thoughtfully, “…to get back where I started from, I must move backward or I cannot go forward.” She was smiling, as I threw a quick glance her way. Pondering this I thought, if one is lost in a cyber-world because you have spent too much time there, one must ask the right questions; get the big idea or overall open ended concept and go backward to move forward. By solving this problem, I can pass her assessment test and finish my morning coffee before it gets cold, I said quietly to myself. “Thank you very much Rd Nej, “I told her, while silently saying Dr. Jen under my breath.
Taking a very big breath of air and calling forth my courage, I stepped back with one long stride; and suddenly I felt myself swirling through the vortex. I felt a chill of anticipation as I hit the bottom of my chair in my office, with a load thud!. There was my coffee, sitting on my desk waiting for me!
"living with perspective"
MIDLIFE MAGIC
Straight Talk in a Crooked World
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Stuff and things.
Online Assessments course, Spring 2011
Welcome to my e-Portfolio of my learning experiences in the course Assessment of eLearning, being taught at Bellevue College, Washington, Spring, 2011. This is the third course in an eLearning certificate.
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