historian

Week 9-10

For week 9,  I was so involved with  Merlot  that I independenlty ended up spending hours looking up new sites that I may add to my online classes. In the past I  provided students one or two sites for each weekly assignment. Now I am having students explore on their own sites that add to the textbook readings, lecture and era. The results for both approaches were mixed. Some students think having them locate sites and then commenting onto a Discussion board as poor instruction.

However, after viewing Merlot and then listening to Week 10–Jim’s presentation on Blogging, I am now toying with new ways to incorporte websites and blogging. For example I am considering compiling  selected sites and allowing students to pick at least two sites  from that selection. Students then  are to Blog rather than use the Discussion board. I am considering using Black Board Blog and for the most part keeping it private. Students on their own can  choose to go public. This coming Wednesday I made an appointment with Karen Kordstad to discuss the use of Black Board Blog versus Discussion Board. Somewhere in Jim’s presentation I thought I heard how they both actually have different uses and outcomes.

Finally and most importantly, this class has become difficult for me, not academically but emotionally.

I really have to be in the proper state of mind which sometimes takes days to get into. That state of mind requires me to be open to new teaching ideas. Once I am mentally prepared, I am amazed at all the new innovations this class is providing.  I enjoy not only learning but thinking about ways to use what has been prepared for us.

What this class is actually teaching me is that for the 21st century  an Instructor must be an innovator. And when new methods of instruction are provided, as this class is doing, we are obligated to not only think about incorporating or not these new methods but also to invent on our own.

We are no longer Instructors with a specific area of knowledge. We need to be innovators and for someone my age, its more than overwhelming. If I were in my twenties it may be challenging. There may be a day when all teachers/instructors/professors are required to have a certificate, similar to what that this class provides, before ever entering into a class room or an online class.

Additonal comments:

Engrade seemed useful but I think the use of Black board and its Grade Center takes care of most of my needs.

Using Google Sites was confusing given Mira Costa has Black board. I think additional information coming from Instructors who use Google and its templates both created from blank templates or to those set up by Google is needed before I consider  using it.

I was out doing family matters but am now back. As an update I am now on Facebook and Twitter. I listened to Pilar’s “Building a Community” and took some of her information in creating a friendly community for students. Finally I am in the process of learning how to use voice thread.

I must say Pilar’s presentation made me re-think how I communicate with my students. There is a part of me that still believes the study of history requires a student to read, think and then write. Therefore, much of the responsibility is up to the student. Making a course “fun” or interesting always seemed to upset me. I felt we were really bending over to accommodate students even to the point of allowing them to determine the nature of the course. For me  history involved having an Instructor provide a reading list, listening to or reading lectures to determine the views of the Instructor. Once provided with direction it was up to me to do the readings, come up with my views by expressing them in writing.

Now it seems the objective is to find ways to make learning interesting when in fact is not that the role of the individual student?

However, given my views, I did take a lot from the group session Pilar conducted. Some of those are as follows:
1. Organize your online course.
2. Provide good directions/signs for the students
3. Always be kind when communicating with students no matter the questions asked.
4. Make emails stand out.
5. Make yourself available and allow students to learn about you.

My only concern was allowing students to build content. I need to think about this more before I take the plunge in my online offerings.

Finally, the use of Voice Thread may be something I will consider but will the students want to participate given it require more of their time? One of the voice tread comments said she used voice thread but only on occasion. I’m not sure but when I being to revise my offerings I shall try to incorporate its use.

My apologies for not commenting on week 5 assignments and for being late in submitting week 6 assignments.

Since I am currently using Black board and Jing, I can say I’m comfortable using both. However, one semester I used Jing on a regular bases. The intent was to help students understand the lectures, given they were topical and interpretative. The theories I used were ones advocated by some of our most distinguished historians. For example in the colonial period I used from Bernard Baylin to Fred Anderson. For the Mexican American war, I liked the theories held by Mexican historians such as Ramon Eduardo Ruiz ( my mentor) to Justo Serra.

I discovered that although students at first liked hearing from me by mid-semester fewer listened and appreciated the summaries. I discovered they were no longer listening when at the end of my oral presentation I asked students to email letting me know they listened to my message. In doing so they would earn 5 bonus points. I was lucky to have two responses in a class of over 30 students.

Lesson learned I now use Jing only when I think it is needed. Oh, I still believe it is a valuable tool for an online course.

Historian

I reviewed the presentation on Prezi. It’s great, now all I need to do is become comfortable with it so I can use it on my online course.

I recently received feed back from two of my online classes. The majority of the students did not want to incorporate Skype. Most did not explain why they did not but given some of the responses they feared contact with the Instructor or did not like the idea of having to prepare for a sit down eye to eye contact. The students who approved its use wanted to use it right away.

Just an FYI

Historian

I just listened to social networks by Alec Couros and found it overwhelming. The idea of using participatory media is alien to me. What hurt the most was when Alec said that we must ditch old ideas of education. I’m not sure what old ideas must be tossed out. Maybe as the class unfolds the tossing of old ideas will be quite obvious and easy to do. As for now the idea of using social networks from facebook to twitter is new though challenging for me.

Respectfully,

historian

Welcome

I am hoping this is the correct first stage. If so, I am ready to proceed.

Arturo Arevalos