In Sherry Turkle’s “Connected: But Alone?”video, she brings to light the seriousness of how technology has has taken over many of our lives through our cell phones. The term "Together but alone together", has really hit home for me lately. She talks about how we connect with our cell phones even when we are in places that we should be connecting with the people we are with. We connect with our cell phones in schools, business meetings, church, and even funerals. The seriousness of not connecting with people around us is effecting our ability to have personal relationships. The "Goldilocks Effect" talks about how people want to have conversations, but they want the conversations to not be to close or to far, they want it to be just rights. So, we hid behind technology to communicate in a way that can be edited and display a face of perfection.
My Usage
I have fallen victim to texting. Texting is quick and to the point. I do not have to stop my life to pick up the phone and call someone to get information that I need. I will use text before reaching to pick up the phone. I have also posted on social media updates about my personal life to my friends and family. So, people know about my life and what is going on without even having a conversation with me. Because of this, I have recently deleted my social media accounts. I am trying to take steps in the right direction to having real relationships instead of relationships that are not meaningful.
Education Usage
Communication technology in the classroom has been a positive. Parents and teachers can connect through email and often teachers can help parents understand what is happening in the classroom very quickly. It often diffuses concerns quickly. However, I have often seen this type of communication put pressure on a teacher to have to respond quickly, and when they don't the parent may view this a lack of caring. Students are also able to communicate with teachers and teachers can communicate with students more quickly and easily. Teachers can use technology like Edmodo to update students and provide resources beyond what is available in the face to face classroom.
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Communicate 1.1.2 Laws of Communication
FERPA
To keep yourself safe and to not violate FERPA, you should know what FERPA states. When in doubt do not email confidential information or ever discuss a student unless it is with the parent. You should direct all third party people to the parents. Never EVER send sensitive information over an email.
Methods
Review and know the copyright laws. They are confusing and when in doubt always sight the source.
Copyright
As soon as something is captured in a fixed form, something is copyrighted. Even if the copyright is symbol is not present.
Fair Use allows us to use certain parts of the copyrighted work without permission. This includes commentary, parody, news reporting, scholarly research and education. You must consider the following when determining if you qualify under fair use: 1. Purpose and character; 2. Nature; 3. Amount and Substantially, 4.Effect on the Market.
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 2.1.1 Identiry Stakeholders
The stakeholders listed in this quest correlate with my perception of how each on contributes to the online community. All stakeholders have important role and work hand in hand with one another. The teacher/student/parent relationship is one that I hold very valuable and I work had to make sure that there are always open lines of communication.
To expand further, the stakeholders communicate within the their own categories,. For example: Teachers communicating with other Teachers and Students communicating with other Students. Each person holding the same roll within the community, but also expanding out and communicating with each other. We often get caught up in our own class and we do not reach out to others for help or for collaboration.
This may be far fetched, but I believe other stakeholders not listed could be the companies who develop the LMS. They have a responsibility to provide a LMS that make communication between the "listed" stakeholders in the quest easy. They should provide a platform that encourages and fosters easy communication once the LMS is purchased.
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 2.1.2 Communication Guidelines
Education Usage
Communication technology in the classroom has been a positive. Parents and teachers can connect through email and often teachers can help parents understand what is happening in the classroom very quickly. It often diffuses concerns quickly. However, I have often seen this type of communication put pressure on a teacher to have to respond quickly, and when they don't the parent may view this a lack of caring. Students are also able to communicate with teachers and teachers can communicate with students more quickly and easily. Teachers can use technology like Edmodo to update students and provide resources beyond what is available in the face to face classroom.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Communicate 1.1.2 Laws of Communication
FERPA
To keep yourself safe and to not violate FERPA, you should know what FERPA states. When in doubt do not email confidential information or ever discuss a student unless it is with the parent. You should direct all third party people to the parents. Never EVER send sensitive information over an email.
Methods
Review and know the copyright laws. They are confusing and when in doubt always sight the source.
Copyright
As soon as something is captured in a fixed form, something is copyrighted. Even if the copyright is symbol is not present.
Fair Use allows us to use certain parts of the copyrighted work without permission. This includes commentary, parody, news reporting, scholarly research and education. You must consider the following when determining if you qualify under fair use: 1. Purpose and character; 2. Nature; 3. Amount and Substantially, 4.Effect on the Market.
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 2.1.1 Identiry Stakeholders
The stakeholders listed in this quest correlate with my perception of how each on contributes to the online community. All stakeholders have important role and work hand in hand with one another. The teacher/student/parent relationship is one that I hold very valuable and I work had to make sure that there are always open lines of communication.
To expand further, the stakeholders communicate within the their own categories,. For example: Teachers communicating with other Teachers and Students communicating with other Students. Each person holding the same roll within the community, but also expanding out and communicating with each other. We often get caught up in our own class and we do not reach out to others for help or for collaboration.
This may be far fetched, but I believe other stakeholders not listed could be the companies who develop the LMS. They have a responsibility to provide a LMS that make communication between the "listed" stakeholders in the quest easy. They should provide a platform that encourages and fosters easy communication once the LMS is purchased.
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 2.1.2 Communication Guidelines
Welcome email: Each semester I send a welcome email that is provided by GAVS to all of my students. I sent this email before the semester starts. The email always includes the course schedule and ways to communicate and contact me.
Personal Notes: I send personal notes through email to students who are doing an excellent job with their course work. I also send personal notes to the parents when their children are doing well and keeping up with assignments.
Stakeholders: All stakeholders should stay in communication with updates policies and procedures. This typically occurs though faculty meetings, syllabus and professional development.
School Policies regarding Communication: All of my communication is kept in a Communication log. I record emails, text and phone calls made to parents.
Tools available for effective Communication: I use my phone to respond to stakeholders when I need to make or return a call or text. I also use email and my adobe classroom. I prefer email, email is the quickest and easiest way for me to respond. Email also provides a communication log for me to reference.
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Communicate 2.1.3 Ongoing Communication
The following presentation can be sent in an email to all stakeholders as a form of communication.
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Communicate 3.1.1 Homepages
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Communicate 3.1.2 News
Above is an example of 2 news items. It is important to keep news items current and to guide students onto the next assignment. Reminders of due date and upcoming events should also be included.
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 3.2.1 The Newsletter
Communication happens daily in a digital learning community. Communication can happen through email, text, phone calls, news feeds, and new letters to name a few. I have listed several links to highly effective way to communicate. Please take a moment to check out some examples of my newsletters.
Smore: There are many different templates to choose from and an instructor can add whatever content they feel is important to the news letter. This is very easy to use and is very appealing to the eye. You can add images, videos or embedded links.
My Smore newsletter.
Thinklink: You can upload any image and add captions to the image that users scroll over. I really enjoyed using this website. It was very easy to use and the end outcome is very professional and informative.
Do you know your food groups and how many servings you should have of each? Click my Thinklink below and give yourself a little quiz!
My Thinklink image.
Flipsnack: This is a way for teachers to capture a virtual portfolio of students work. Please remember FERPDA before using students work. In my Flipsnack I created an announcement.
My Flipsnack announcement.
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Communicate 3.2.2 Differentiation
When I think about "differentiation", I think about every student in my class and how each of have different strengths and weaknesses. I think about how each of them probably have a preferred way of learning. As educators, it is our job to evaluate our class and use differentiation while educating our students. The virtual school has a challenge, because education is not taking place face to face and visual ques can not be considered when differentiating the course. This same thought process applies when thinking about communication. Students and parents have preferred way of communication and varying the way I communicate is a good way to keep them informed in interested in the class.
Listed below is an example of Differentiation for communication.
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Communicate 4.1.1 Evaluation Methods and Communication Practices
When exploring Evaluation Methods and Communication Practices, I read the article Four Good Reasons Why Students Need Instructor Feedback in Online Course. The article states that effective feedback allows students to assess existing knowledge, students want feedback, students require feedback in order to learn, and many college students are not prepared for college level work and need guidance.
Effective communication practice in the online environment are essential to quality feedback. As instructors we must provide feedback that is prompt and relevant to the task being evaluated. We should respond with details that help guide the learning process. The feedback should expand on the topic that we are evaluatin.
Authentic feedback is important because it allows the student to expand on their original thoughts and provokes higher level critical thinking. Teachers can respond in discussions that facilitate critical thinking,
An instructor can enrich online learning through feedback by providing positive and critical feedback to inspire the student to expand their own thoughts and research on a topic. Feedback can allow students to approach a topic and think about content in a way they may not have, if effective feedback was not provided.
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Communicate 4.2.1 Feedback
Assessment:
Standards:
Identify All Food Groups
Understand Nutritional Values
Demonstrate comprehension of healthy food choices.
Assignment: High School Students will keep track of a food diary for 3 days. Each day the will list what they ate and provide nutritional details of each food item eaten. The nutritional details should include, Total Calories, Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates/serving
_________________________________________________________________________________Communicate 4.2.2 Digital Feedback
For this quest I explored the following:
Evernote: Evernote is a good way to give verbal feedback, because you can create a message that can be sent directly to the students email. I like this feature because the student will be expecting an email, but to their surprise there will be an audio message embedded.
Screencast: I have actually used Screencast throughout this blog. Screencast allows the teacher to specifically address each student individually and allows them to focus in on key points within an assignment. I like screencast because the feedback can be creative.
Voice Recorded: Using voice recorded on my phone, can allow my students to hear me and make a verbal connection with the feedback I am giving.
For this quest I explored the following:
Evernote: Evernote is a good way to give verbal feedback, because you can create a message that can be sent directly to the students email. I like this feature because the student will be expecting an email, but to their surprise there will be an audio message embedded.
Screencast: I have actually used Screencast throughout this blog. Screencast allows the teacher to specifically address each student individually and allows them to focus in on key points within an assignment. I like screencast because the feedback can be creative.
Voice Recorded: Using voice recorded on my phone, can allow my students to hear me and make a verbal connection with the feedback I am giving.
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Communicate 4.2.3 Discussions
Please see slideshow below:
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Communicate 4.3.1 The Synchronous Session
Integrating synchronous learning sessions within the online environment assist in developing a learning community for students by allowing the students a place to come and connect with their peers and the teacher. The synchronous session gives a face to face feel for students. It gives the students an opportunity to see that the teacher is really a teacher and it is not just a computer grading their assignments. Once the connection is made between the teacher and student, the trust and bond that forms allow for a more open dialogue. Feedback becomes more intent and personal. I have been in the role of online student before and I feel that once a connection is made with instructor and trust is built, than I had the desire to learn from them. It took my learning to entire different level. I knew the teacher was investing in me and was not just teaching online to get a "pay check". I wanted to succeed in the class and go above and what was being asked.
As teachers, we can provide many useful tips for our students during synchronous sessions. I often teach a lesson and provide visuals for my students. I come "over prepared", just in case something goes amiss. I also like to share my desktop and walk students through things within the course that they might have questions about.
The synchronous sessions are the number one way to connect with students. I think synchronous sessions are essential to the online learning culture. For students who do not attend live, I think the recording of the session is the next best way for them to stay connected.
As teachers, we can provide many useful tips for our students during synchronous sessions. I often teach a lesson and provide visuals for my students. I come "over prepared", just in case something goes amiss. I also like to share my desktop and walk students through things within the course that they might have questions about.
The synchronous sessions are the number one way to connect with students. I think synchronous sessions are essential to the online learning culture. For students who do not attend live, I think the recording of the session is the next best way for them to stay connected.
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