Category: edci339

How can you ensure equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners in K-12 open and distributed learning contexts? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

Before beginning this course I had never thought about digital equity being anything more than a financial issue; after reading through the Topic 3 resources I learned that equitable access issues can be extremely complex. In my Topic 2 blog post I posed this question: “How can we best support learners with designations in online settings?” The readings from this week and have definitely given me inspiration to create meaningful online learning contexts.

After reading Basham et al. speak about the diversity of our learners and how we can help them best succeed in this environment I was able to see how the Universal Design for Learning(UDL) framework is an extremely important resource for all educators teaching in distributed classrooms, and in physical classrooms as well. UDL provides a framework that encourages multiple means of engagement, action and expression (Basham et al., 2020, p. 483). Research shows that students perform better and are happier when they are provided with voice and choice. Furthermore, I believe that allowing students the opportunity to make their own decisions regarding their own learning is crucial because it requires them to take responsibility of their own learning and learn about what works best for them personally. Online learning allows for different opportunities to differentiate learning due to the various technologies and programs that have been created specifically to help students. For example, Google Read and Write can replace the teacher scribing for a student; although they are very different, the outcome is similar.

I have never heard of Kral and Schrab’s 8 design principles until today but they really made me think about how I will set up my future classroom. The Design Principles are as follows:

“Design Principle 1: A space young people control

Design Principle 2: A space for hanging out and ‘mucking around’

Design Principle 3: A space where learners learn

Design Principle 4: A space to grow into new roles and responsibilities

Design Principle 5: A space to practice oral and written language

Design Principle 6: A space to express self and cultural identity through multimodal forms

Design Principle 7: A space to develop and engage in enterprise

Design Principle 8: A space to engage with the world” (Kral & Schrab, 2012, p. 58). 

Design Principle 1 made me think about online classroom blogs, or assignments that require students to learn from each other, rather than learning from the teacher. Online classrooms provide an array of activities that young people can control!

Design Principle 5 is another example that can be easily implemented in a blended learning setting. Personally, I used to think that online learning only allowed opportunities for students to practice their written language. However, there are many tools and programs that students can use to practice oral language online as well; ultimately, this also contributes to creating equitable learning environments where all students can succeed.

Selwyn(2020) spoke about the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected students; he refers to this online learning as “emergency measures” (para. 5). The most interesting thing I learned was about how many businesses and online programs have been working hard to meet the needs of our schools and it has created a type of pandemic education race to see who can create the most effective tools. The article progresses to speak about access issues that have accompanied COVID-19 and I can totally relate. For example, I have been participating in #edci339 while my Mom has also been working from home and joining Zoom calls all day. Luckily, we have our own laptops but we constantly run into internet issues with both of us using so much for our video calls. This has given me a new appreciation for the importance of asynchronous learning. If I ever get the chance to teach in a distributed classroom I will ensure to always offer an asynchronous option as well as a synchronous option so that all students have the chance to join in. Even something as simple as when Verena videotaped the Zoom meeting with the guest speakers could be beneficial to students who do not always have access to the internet because then they can watch it on their own time but still be a part of the community.

References 

Basham, J.D., Blackorby, J., Stahl, S. & Zhang, L. (2018) Universal Design for Learning Because Students are (the) Variable. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 477-507). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Kral, I. & Schwab, R.G. (2012). Chapter 4: Design Principles for Indigenous Learning Spaces. Safe Learning Spaces. Youth, Literacy and New Media in Remote Indigenous Australia. ANU Press. http://doi.org/10.22459/LS.08.2012 Retrieved from:   http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p197731/pdf/ch041.pdf

Selwyn. N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachers’ ‘digital competence’ in light of COVID-19.[Weblog]. Retrieved from: https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2020/04/30/1380217/online-learning-rethinking-teachers-digital-competence-in-light-of-covid-19

• How would you describe the historical and theoretical trends in k-12 open and distributed learning? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

What did I know?

In all honesty, open and distributed learning is a topic that I did not know much about before starting #edci339. The only experience I had with online learning environments was my Planning 10 class and a first year class that I took at UVic. Additionally, I had never considered the various theories that can be implemented in open and distributed learning settings.

What did I learn?

I think it is so interesting that online learning environments have been around for decades but up until the COVID-19 outbreak, online classes for primary students seemed almost inconceivable. After reading about the historical trends in K-12 open and distributed learning, I made some connections to my prior knowledge:

Retrieved from: http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PUB-LFP-POSTER-Principles-of-Learning-First-Peoples-poster-11×17.pdf

As we learned last week, online learning is most successful when there is a balance between student-content, student-teacher, and student-student interactions. This weeks readings reinforced this idea as we began to dive into various learning theories. Roberts et al. (2018) reminded us of Dewey and Vygotsky’s theories that focussed strictly on the social aspect of learning. I connected this to the First People’s Principle that states : “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational…” These ideas have been around since the 1930’s and are still relevant to this day.

One point that resonated with me from this weeks readings was when Bates explained that online learning is “not to replace the teacher, but to use the technology primarily to increase and improve communication between teacher and learners”. I think that so many people are quick to think that online learning lacks the social aspect that schools have to offer and this is absolutely not the case if the teacher creates an environment that encourages online interactions with all of the students. 

What am I curious about?

In situations where students have no access to online learning materials, how can we best support them? Are there programs or organizations that work towards providing students in need with the required materials?

Why is online learning not offered to more K-12 students? For example, students with busier schedules, unique learning needs or various other reasons, might actually see higher success rates by joining an online environment. Is there a possibility to create a blended classroom with half the time spent f2f and the other half spent online?

References:

Barbour, M & Labonte, R. (2018) An Overview of eLearning Organizations and Practices in Canada. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of researchon K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 600-616).Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Bates, T.(2014). Learning Theories and Online Learning. [Blog post]. Retrieved from
https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/.

Roberts, V. , Blomgren, C. Ishmael, K. & Graham, L. (2018) Open Educational Practices in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments. In R. Ferdig & K.Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 527–544). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

This topic peaked my interested because I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to build relationships in person while in a classroom setting, however, I have not yet had a chance to think about building relationships in online learning spaces. One thing that crossed my mind before diving into the course materials was the trust that must be established in an online space. Students are given much more freedom and responsibility in online learning spaces than they are in a classroom, simply because the teacher can not watch over everyone’s shoulder at the same time. Therefore, teachers must share the importance of internet safety and privacy concerns starting at a young age. Teachers can provide students with resources and critical thinking strategies to keep themselves safe but ultimately, it is up to the students to put this into place. Teachers need to be able to trust that their students can demonstrate responsibility online at all times. I believe that this is a critical part of building strong relationships in online learning spaces because without trust, the classroom cannot be successful.

After reading some articles, listening to Dr. Barb Brown’s webinar and talking to my learning pod, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the importance of relationships in online learning spaces, specifically for students K-12. Barb and Verena shared an article that encouraged me to reflect on the importance of classroom management. Just like classrooms in-person, classrooms online need to have guidelines and rules in order to help the teacher be successful. Although, classroom management looks very different in an online classroom it is still crucial! Martin(2019) confirms that classroom management cannot happen until the teacher-student relationship has been built, additionally Martin shares that “once the relationship was established, [teachers are] able to have meaningful conversations with the students to learn what they could do to help them and engage with them” (p. 9). As educators, we know that each student has unique needs and these needs are amplified in an online setting; therefore, we must interact with our students to learn how to support them in a way that is best for them. This connects to the shift away from the ‘typical’ learner-contact interactions that are commonly seen in online courses. In my personal experience, I have always struggled with online courses that require me to read a chapter, write an essay and hand it in without any further discussion. Therefore, I was excited to read about the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework.

Photo retrieved from: https://coi.athabascau.ca/coi-model/coi_model_small/

I know that I still have lots of learning to do because it is a continuous journey! Here are some of the questions I hope to be able to answer by the end of the course:

How can we best support learners with designations in online settings?

What are some ideas to encourage more learner-learner instruction? (ex/ think-pair-share)

How can we teach our youngest students the importance of safe communication in order to set them up for future success?

References:

Martin, J. (2019). Building relationships and increasing engagement in the virtual classroom: Practical tools for the online instructor. Journal of Educators Online, 16(1), 1-8.Retrieved from: https://www.thejeo.com/archive/archive/2019_161/martinpdf