03 The read/write web

03 The read/write web
Originally uploaded by leighblackall.

I ran across this photo while in the midst of looking for one that represents "success", and thought this was too appropriate to pass up.

Technology is not the panacea

Technology is appreciated but is only useful when combined with an instructor who connects with students.

One of the conclusions from the STCC project (see previous post).

STCC Universal Design Projects

Linda Meccouri, PhD
Mary Moriarty, EdD
Springfield Technical Community College (STCC)
Session 4 from the Middlesex Carnegie Summer Institute.

Questions to be answered by project:
1. Can universal design be effective in improving learning experiences of students in general and those with disabilities in particular.
2. What recommendations for course approaches, materials and assistive technologies work best?
3. As UDL is employed, are there attitudinal changes among students and faculty regarding Science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning capabilities

UDL central premise:

curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.

recommendation — multimodal expressions
multiple means of representation
multiple means of expression
multiple means of engagement

focuses on physical, social, and learning environments

showed video of great pedagogy in biology lab classroom. Prof made her own "dynamic" model parts of cells. After students looked through microscope, they then needed to create the cell on the lab table using the plastic cell pieces. The visually impaired students could then feel the structure of the cell, rather than missing it because they couldn't see through the scope.

Programming example:
"Learning Styles, Challenges, and Strengths" inventory
Strength-based intentional groups based on the information that students filled out on the cards
Online conferencing on relevant trends
Mentor program
Practice tests to reduce to reduce test anxiety
Digital formats that can be used with assistive technology

Linda had us do an exercise that she uses the first day in every class that she teaches. She then uses the information on the card to form strength-based intentional groups. I like the exercise very much, can see the usefulness in it, and would like to try it myself.

What really got me thinking was hearing that Linda puts everything on the web so that students can use readers with the material and have the info rad back to them. Do I need to do a better job of capturing material I discuss in the Sat f2f class? Currently I work from an outline of what I want to do in class, and virtually none of the information is captured online. Since we are now podcasting the classes, the information is captured, but who wants to bother to wade through 3 hours worth of stuff? I wouldn't. I'll need to think about htis one, as it would require me to do things very differently.

Seeing Meaning Everywhere Now: Using Found Literature

Amy Havel, Southern Maine Community College
Session 3 from the Middlesex Carnegie Summer Institute.
Found literature: real articles that are "found" by others and then used as a source to interpret meaning and then write about, using a list of questions provided in class.

Amy introduced the session by saying that this is her first presentation and to be kind to her. She got folks on her side immeditately and proceeded with the session with great enthusiasm. Attendees constantly chuckling as Amy described her work with her students. Fun assignments.

Amy talked about how she emphasizes to students that they are now in an era where it is important what they think about what things mean. It is NOT just what the instructor or faculty person says that is the ultimate truth (my words). amy also mentioned how she is really low-tech -- she handed out paper handouts and had nothing to project.

This immediately made me think about how the web trend with its openness and participatory nature of the applications being developed lends itself perfectly to the kind of work Amy is doing. I was reminded of the Yellow Arrow project.

You've got to check this out, as it is a worlwide collaborative digital project using text messaging. From the YA website:

Yellow Arrow is called a M.A.A.P. (Massively authored Artist Presentation)because it is made from the ground up by people around the world. By becoming a Yellow Arrow MAAPmaker, you join an exciting new inititative to re-chart the globe by publishing its most unique attractions and curiosities.

As a MAAPmaker you assume a tagname and claim your own gallery space that showcased your texts, maps, and pictures. In addition, your personal Arrow Journal contains your thoughts and experiences, and provides a place where friends in the community will respond. Yellow Arrow extends beyond the web too. Excellent arrows and projects are exhibited in glaaeries, books, newspapares, and museums. Get published!

Using Teaching and Learning to Integrate Immigrant Students into the College Community

Session 2 from the Middlesex Carnegie Summer Institute. I forgot to mention that the theme of the Institute is We're Teaching but are our Students Learning?

Presenter for this session is Dr. Li Li, History dept, from Salem State College.
Language Intensive Interdisciplinary Program (LIIP)
Program Philosophy:
We believe that education is political and tht our mssion is to prepare students to be active participants and agents of change in a democratic society.

Objectives are to create a common teaching and learning experience. This involves students' active participation and collaboration in learning process, the building of a learning community, and of course, faculty cooperation. Faculty must have a willingness to use innovative teaching methods.

Students are freshmen whose native language is not English. The goal in to integrate LIIP into the college community. Students serve as mentors in their second year, at least one for each class. They hold study sessions.
Technorati Tags: interdisciplinary learning communities collaboration

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

I'm at the Middlesex Carnegie Summer Institute & New England Faculty Development Consortium, which is being held at the Middlesex Community College's Lowell campus. Right now am running on a wireless connection which I hope continue to maintain its signal strength.

Anyway thought I would try blogging some of the sessions to see how effective this is. The first session is called Bridging the Gap — An Educational Assessment model that Integrates Technical and Professional Development,
and is being presented byLornaa Hayward and Betsy, professors of Physical Therapy Northeastern University in Boston.

I'm hoping that this will be useful for both my nursing and now culinary instructional design.

The focus is going to be on authentic learning and how to provide tangible evidence of the learning. They have created pedagogy that explicitly teaches and rewards students".

Model revolves around a Standardized Patient. laypeople are recruited to emulate aspecifici problem. Students then work with therecruitedd people who are trained to act in the same way for a certain problem. Lay patients are trained to express primary signs &symptomss of the disease they are supposed to have. Thelaypeoplee can provideaffectivee feedback about how the students interacted with the layperson "patient". Interaction is videotaped. Students do self-assessment as well as get peer-assessment.

Learning communities provide other part of model. Belief that learning is enhanced and actually changes as a result of working with others. Students work in small groups online using BB discussions. Students know case in advance, questions are posted and in the group they prepare for the upcoming interaction with the patient (layperson). A faculty mentor facilitates the group to ask guiding questions if necessary.

Assessment involves 360 assessment using feedback from instructor, peers, Standard Patient (SP), self, videotape, plus a debriefing. they use rubrics for affective, cognitive, and performance domains.

One of the problems with the model initially was the challenge of training SPs. Older people were found to be very good SP. Training was one hour and then to commit to being a SP twice, including providing feedback to students and faculty. SPs were paid with $50 Barnes & Noble gift certificate, although many did not accept the pay and wanted to do it to contribute themselves to the university.

I like the questions that they provided to guide in reflections.
Reflections:
What was it — what did you learn?
Why was it important - what did it trigger in you?
So what? - what are you going to do with this new epiphany?

Then we broke into small groups

to discuss a couple of different sets of questions relating to the pedagogy just described. What I learned, or the AHA that I have came from Tom T. who is at Rode Island Institiute of Technology. He said he realized that even though they have video classes, they don't use video to do formative assessment. The students turn in a final project that is a video, but Tom had the realization that they could also be using video to tape the process of making the video. In fact, they could have one group taping the assignment, and then a second group videotaping the group who was taping.

It strikes me that there is something in here that I might also be able to use in my teaching. I'll need to think a bit more about it though.
Technorati Tags: pedagogy Standard Patient assessment SoTL