Having just returned from iNACOL's Blended and Online Learning Symposium, I am confused by the term "Blended Learning." Not confused in my understanding, but I am confused how to explain this concept to executive administrators and boards of education. The current definition as illustrated above is too confusing and not specific enough. Right now the … Continue reading Blended Learning Taxonomy: Not Ready For Prime Time
Tag: school reform
Online Learning Reading List
Bush, J. & Wise, B. (2010). Digital learning now. Tallahassee, FL: Foundation for Excellence in Education. Cavanaugh, C. (2009). Getting students more learning time online: Distance education in support of expanded learning time in K-12 schools. Washington, DC: Center for American Progress. Creative Commons (n.d.). Creative Commons. Mountainview: CA: author. Retrieved from http://www.creativecommons.org. Dawley, L., … Continue reading Online Learning Reading List
Tech Forum Note — 05/03/13
At last Friday's Techforum Chicago, I listed intently during presentations about innovations in schools. One of the themes of the conversations was about creating content. Without exception many presenters and participants talked about creating digital content. In some cases it was stated in an arrogant fashion: "Nobody can do it better than me!" In digital … Continue reading Tech Forum Note — 05/03/13
Virtual School’s Symposium 2012 Summary
The student panel at the Virtual Schools Symposium 2012 Over 2,000 conferees assembled in New Orleans, Louisiana for iNACOL's edition of its Virtual Schools Symposium held October 21-24, 2012. Across the program, presentations looked at research in the field, instructional models, administrative successes, and policy proposals. This year's conference focused on the trends in the field that … Continue reading Virtual School’s Symposium 2012 Summary
Successful Online Courses
Image Credit The SLATE Conference is October 11-12, 2012 at the Northern Illinois University campus in Naperville, Illinois. The conference brings together conferees who are interested in non-traditional forms of learning, especially in electronically supplementing traditional courses or implementing online courses. My presentation is about factors for successful online courses. They include: issues of curriculum, … Continue reading Successful Online Courses
Starting an Online Program: To Blend or Not to Blend
Image Credit Blended Learning: First, in all of the blended programs, the students learn in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home at least some of the time. Second, the students' experience online delivery with some control over the time, place, path, and/or pace. (Reference) In the rush to digital learning, school districts may be … Continue reading Starting an Online Program: To Blend or Not to Blend
Innovation and Democracy
Image Credit Is innovation a democratic process? Innovate: to introduce something new; make changes in anything established. (reference) In Disrupting Class, author Clayton Christen informs school boards that introducing digital learning into schools may be hampered by purposeful democratic processes that are part of schools' cultures. Cooperative tools like "financial incentives, negotiations, vision statements, training, performance metrics, and even litigation . . … Continue reading Innovation and Democracy
Student-Teacher Interaction Essential in Online Courses
(Click the image to see it larger.) Student-teacher interaction is essential in online courses. Online courses require rich content that includes many modalities for students to choose their learning path, including text, audio, video, kinesthetic and other modes. This is one of the features of online learning that is difficult to produce and separates from … Continue reading Student-Teacher Interaction Essential in Online Courses
With Technology in Schools Nothing Has Changed
Image Credit With technology in schools nothing has changed. Several years ago, I performed some original research about technology in schools (reference). While this study occurred in a limited scope with a few school districts and I stated it could not be generalized, the results appear to be similar to what is appearing in popular … Continue reading With Technology in Schools Nothing Has Changed
Technology Enhancement: Fundamentally Flawed
Image Credit The use of the term "technology enhancement" is fundamentally flawed. First definitions from dictionary.com: 1.to raise to a higher degree; intensify; magnify; 2.to raise the value or price of. In schools this means purchasing a variety of techno gizmos so that teachers can teach the same way, moving overhead transparencies to slide shows. Teachers continue to drone away at the front of the … Continue reading Technology Enhancement: Fundamentally Flawed