Monday, June 30, 2014

Response to Warnock #3: Chapters 7-10

I specifically want to focus on chapter ten for this response post to Warnock's text. Chapter ten is Warnock's proponent for peer reviewing assignments. I have not had the best relationship with peer editing assignments, nor have I received the best response. Partially because I think peer review activities are the opposite of objective. Usually a teacher or professor gives you certain guidelines which then leads to students going though the motions just to get through with the assignment. Warnock offers a different approach to peer reviewing and editing that I think may actually work. Below I have described some points Warnock makes in chapter ten and my response to them.

Like many other teachers, Warnock stresses giving succinct rules and expectations for a peer review assignment. His rules and expectations differ fro ones I've encountered from past professors, and I think they are valuable.

"Make it clear you want a critic, not a cheerleader." Amen, Warnock. This was a huge pet peeve of mine during my undergraduate career. There is a definitive line between being polite and helpful and just being too nice. When I am working on a serious assignment, I expect serious feedback. Now, don't ream be and make me feel two inches tall, but do please offer helpful criticism with appropriate actions to fix an issue.

"Grade the reviews." Warnock really means "give feedback" when he says grade the reviews, but I like his belief that an instructor should be able to insert himself into a progressing review and offer feedback when it looks like the activity is going astray.

"Peer Review Software" Warnock essentially describes software that can do what GoogleDocs does now. Since this book was published in 2009, it lacks information about the mega mogul search engine's peer editing software. I would very much like to see Warnock's input about GoogleDocs, and I assume that an updated edition of this text will contain this.

Peer editing is the only amount of collaborative work I would be comfortable assigning in an online class. I believe Melissa pointed at the appeal of online courses for those with busy schedules. To me, an online class loses its value when students are forced to meet on a regular basis. If you are going to do this, then there should just be a designated class time to meet f2f. 

Response to Research Post #3-Online Learning and Low Income Students

Online Learning and Low Income Students

Yes, it's me again. With an article about teaching-ha, go figure! While I told myself I would take a break from posting about teaching and focus more in writing instruction, I couldn't help but use this paper in my blog. The link above will take you to an abstract from a paper-different from actual media articles I posted in the past. Once again, Dr. Spring shared this on her Twitter page, and I scooped it up for further reading. It is quite dense, so I'm just going to cover the highlights on this blog post. I plan to use this in my annotated bibliography since it matches quite nicely with my interests: Online teaching and low level students. I feel like Krista and Melissa would especially enjoy this academic paper because it may support some of the things they've been writing in their blogs.


Shanna Smith Jaggars, the author, gives valid points when explaining obstacles low income students can face when taking hybrid or all online courses. The first section of the paper is an in-depth view of research available on online courses and success rates. It also breaks down what type of courses are taken online by a certain student demographics, and the overall outcomes of these courses. The statistics for some of these studies were shocking. For example, Jaggars describes a study that reports, "Online courses, like other forms of distance learning, clearly have higher mid-semester withdrawal rates than do face-to-face courses. This difference may be particularly pronounced among under prepared students" (8). So what constitutes an under prepared student? According to Jaggars, an under prepared student is a student that is not adequately ready to take on traditional college work (i.e. writing papers, using critical reading skills, or conducting solid research). The remaining first half of this paper presents several case studies that further support Jaggers' claim. She doesn't necessarily slam online teaching, in fact, she explains that under prepared students are more likely not to return to an online course after failing, or performing poorly.

Jaggars also hits on a concept I also have thought about. Technological access for low income students. This is the major drawback for me for using a flipped classroom assignment. Many of my Bridges students do not possess a computer at home, so it would be hard for them to view an assignment outside of class. That is why, if I were to do a flipped assignment, I would have them use iPads in the classroom and then come to me with questions.

The last fourth of this paper presents strategies that can be put in place to help these students. Some of the strategies Jaggers suggest are: reduce student costs for community college, revise financial aid, offer more routine online courses, and teach online learning skills. Obviously, I haven't gone into extreme detail with explaining this paper, but I feel like it is a good resource to back an argument for online teaching. At first I though the paper would be solely against online courses for the underprivileged, but instead, Jaggars gives good insight into what can be done to fix these issues. 

Monday, June 23, 2014

Response to Warnock #2- Chapters 5-6

Once again, Warnock doesn't disappoint. Chapter 5 has been my favorite chapter so far in this tiny textbook, mainly because I can relate and translate Warnock's advice and tips to my own classroom. I know I may seem redundant by always tying in material from this class to my profession, but it is rare where I can directly equate what I'm learning in graduate school to what I do for a living. That's not to say graduate school isn't important, but since I chose to pursue an M.A. versus an M.Ed. it takes some rearranging. I appreciate the fact that I can take what Warnock writes and directly apply it to something I already do, or could be doing better.

One big thing that struck me in chapter 5 was that Warnock states, "One myth about teaching online is that you must have everything scheduled and ready to go far in advance of the start of the term" (45). Warnock constantly praises the flexibility of online course, and I agree that they are ideal for one with a busy schedule. However, I did not realize how flexible one can be while teaching an online course. The idea that you can teach a class at your own pace, and change things as they come is very appealing. I realize you can technically do this in a f2f environment, but there is more pressure to stay on schedule when you meet at regular intervals. Another thing that struck me as interesting in chapter five is the organization. Warnock designed the chapter with short blurbs of expository writing dotted with lists and tips. This made the reading easy, and I was able to make substantial notes and connections. Finally, the end of chapter 5 directed me to Warnock's Teaching Materials Appendix. I mentioned in my earlier post that Warnock included a helpful glossary, but I just discovered the appendices. The fact that Warnock provides templates for certain things he mentions throughout his book is very impressive!

Chapter 6 addresses and assuages some big fears I have towards online schooling. I mentioned early on in the class that this is only my second online course. A big complaint that I had for my first online course was the seemingly lack of organization and overarching end goal. I found myself at times asking, What exactly am I learning here? Consistency is a virtue I treasure, and it is a concept that Warnock reiterates in this chapter. Warnock's Weekly Plan is self explanatory, and it "...solves many subtle but nettlesome problems encountered in an OWcourse, where students might be working in several different environments and will have different sets of instructions for each environment" (Warnock 55). A Weekly Plan cuts down on confusion, and has all the information needed for an online course in one place.

Final thought, Warnock pushes for redundancy. Usually redundancy is a negative thing in the classroom, but not when it comes to giving instruction. I cannot tell you how many times I repeat directions in any given day in my classroom. It's maddening! But repeating statements on "paper" is another story. There are already natural barriers in place in the online environment, so repeating due dates, assignment descriptions, etc. and putting them in multiple places is a smart way to ensure students understand.

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How and Why. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print.

Response to Research Post #2 - Tweeting in the Classroom

Twitter: Best Practices for Educators

The link above will take you to an article that explains different ways Twitter can be used in the classroom. Dr. Spring actually tweeted this article early this week, and I though it fit right in with my interests as a teacher. It has been a personal goal of mine to incorporate more "social media" into my classroom. I am a social media fiend with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine. However, I am not a pro at Twitter, which is somewhat disappointing. I pride myself on being on the "up-and-up" with new teenage fads, etc. since this is key to building meaningful relationships with my high schoolers. I was happy that Dr. Spring decided to incorporate Twitter into this class because it forced me to reacquaint myself with Twitter. I created a profile back in college, but never really explored the site. I think I'm now making headway which is awesome!

The author of this article, Vicki Davis, is also the author if a new book, Reinventing Writing. While I have not thoroughly checked this book out, it looks to be something I could possibly use for my profession. In the article, Ms. Davis goes through a variety of helpful apps, tools, and hashtags to get a Twitter account for the classroom up and running. Below are my thoughts on some of the tools Ms. Davis mentioned.

Hootsuite: This is a social media management website that lets a user easily see what is going on with favorite hashtags and followers. This would be ideal for a teacher who is teaching a large class and needs to keep up with a large amount of students. I haven't signed up for this yet, but I like the fact that is micromanages your class Twitter page, and it's FREE!

Canva a.ka. InDesign for dummies: This is a online service/app that allows a user to add graphic designs to photos, webpages, fliers, etc. It is free from what I can tell, and seems to be idiot proof. (Meaning, I can use it since I know ZIP about graphic design.) Davis suggests this to be used in conjunction with photographs. She explains that studies have shown that tweets with photos are ten times more likely to be retweeted than just plain text.

Various statistics and tips: Davis ends her article with tips and tricks on how to successfully tweet to a broader audience. She advises teachers to use less words in their tweets and more interactive media such as links, photos, and videos. She also gives a FANTASTIC tip about mentioning to celebrities that you are a teacher or are teaching a class pertaining to their work. Apparently, famous people are more likely to respond to teachers than random peons in the Twitterverse. Can we say, "Tom Hiddleston," anyone? Finally, Ms. Davis gives three handy hashtags for the classroom: #mysteryskype, #comments4kids, and a hashtag of your creation. Dr. Spring has already done this with our class, and I am excited to create one for my own! #mysteryskype helps teachers find other classroom teachers via Twitter, and #comments4kids is apparent Twitter code for "Hey, I teach cool kids, so you should check out our stuff and we'll check out yours!" What are some other handy hashtags that you know that can be used for teaching? Or English? Or writing? Or all of the above?

Monday, June 16, 2014

Response #1 to Warnock: Chapters 1-4

First off, I would like to comment on Warnock's voice in this "textbook." I put textbook in quotes because it does not resemble nor reads like a typical textbook. It is slim and light, and the structure is easy to follow. I appreciate Warnock's candid voice. I found myself chuckling at times to certain comments he would make about otherwise mundane topics. If anything, I always admire dry wit.

My thoughts on chapter one are pretty straightforward. I liked the list of personalities that Warnock advises against using when conducting an online course. The same goes when teaching a live course, for the most part. Also, I liked his suggestions for ice-breakers. I have only taken one other online course, and we did a large introductory post. While these are great, I prefer short, original introductions. His fill in the blank type questions are to the point and would leave a lasting impression. I feel like this is important in getting to know people in the online environment. For example, I prefer to know the people who will be commenting on my posts at least once a week.

The online vs. hybrid course debate covered in chapter two was somewhat confusing for me. I have never participated in true hybrid course...at least, I don't think. I have taken one or two courses where certain activities are completed via Blackboard while other stuff is turned in during class time. Does this constitute a hybrid course? Those of you with a stronger background in this could possibly help me out?

Chapters three and four move towards an in depth explanation about activities and strategies that can be used in to improve communication online, etc. Dr. Spring mentioned the possibility of using Google Hangout at the beginning of this course. I have never used Google Hangout before, but I am open to the idea. My biggest hindrance in the course so far is time. I have a packed summer schedule (despite being "off") and I feel like this has kept me from exploring other options. Warnock mentions using a "stripped down" method for communicating day to day in the online class environment. So far, I have made a better effort in re-activating my Twitter account and checking my Winthrop email regularly. These are small steps that I hope will lead to bigger ones. Right now, I am content with doing the majority of course work independently. This is only because I am afraid to commit to group work etc. without giving a 100% effort. I don't want to be that person who doesn't do her share of the work. Part of this stems from fear of the unknown in relation to online class. But as Warnock says, "At some point, you need to jump in."

Final thought: the glossary found at the back of this book is extremely helpful. Just FYI in case some of you haven't noticed it yet. (I just noticed it tonight, so yeah.) 

Response to Research #1: "Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'"

Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the “digital generation”

The link to the article above will take you to a post Dr. Spring tweeted earlier this week. I have ran across the issue of "high-tech" cheating this year during End of Course testing. I teach predominantly English I, which is a ninth grade, skills-based English course. In South Carolina, all ninth graders who take English I must take a state-mandated final exam (called the EOC) at the end of each semester. Let me reiterate: this is for English I students ONLY. During my bi-yearly test administrator training, we were warned about the different types of cheating covered in this article. For the first time ever, students were not allowed to have water bottles in the testing site. This derived from the fear that students will custom create labels with pertinent information pertaining to the test. However, I don't want to focus my blog post on the evils of students cheating. In stead, I want to focus on the counter-argument presented in this article: technology can be used for good. Specifically, I want to point out and respond to certain statements the writer made.

In response to the effort made to cheat: "Many of the educators argued that in the age of ubiquitous computing, depriving students of reference materials does little to test them on their ability to apply concepts in real-world situations. Several provided testimonials to the value of allowing them to bring their own study aids, such as note cards, to examinations." I agree with this statement. There have been many occasions where a professor allowed me and fellow students in a class to create an old-fashioned, one page "cheat sheet." By taking advantage of the opportunity, I reviewed my notes, categorized them in a way that I could read easily, and re-familiarized myself with the information. Nine times out of ten, I a barely needed the cheat sheet by the time test day came around because I knew all the material! While I have never used this concept in my own classroom, I am definitely considering the idea. 

In response to the war against technology: "On one side, we—the faculty—seem to control course management systems, online quizzes, wireless clickers, Internet access to PowerPoint slides and podcasts, and plagiarism-detection software. On the student side, they are armed with smart phones, laptops, music players, digital cameras, and social network sites." Once again, I agree. I have attended umpteen professional development days where technology is the focal point. Whenever I attend one of these "mini-conferences," I make a conscientious effort to implement at least two new things I learned, whether that be using a new website or creating a new SmartBoard document. Sadly, not all teachers do this. It's baffling. I have access to many outlets for digital learning, and I do not utilize them to their fullest potential. Students are constantly plugged in, and I need to implement ways that can blend their favorite things with educational standards. 

In response to "learning the old fashioned way": "Promoters of gadget-oriented instructional technology argue that students in the digital generation need to be connected to a technical device in order for there to be any hope of engagement with formal education." Sometimes I feel like I am being a traitor towards my classic training in literature. I am a firm believer in teaching the canon, but I support and PUSH for teaching the canon in different ways. Just as technology has evolved, so should teachers and the method to teach. 

Losh, Elizabeth. "Education's war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'." Salon. 14      June 2014. Web. 16 June 2014. 


Thursday, June 12, 2014

My Introduction and Reaction to WRIT 510

For the time being, I'm going to shift the focus of my blog towards my current graduate course. For the next few weeks, I will be posting regularly about topics pertaining to teaching online-specifically how to teach writing online. I hope by posting regularly, I will get back into the swing of things with this blog, and post delicious recipes and awesome teaching strategies as I had originally planned.

So far my impressions of this course have been wide and varied with a little confusion thrown in. I am a regular high school teacher who teaches in the normal face-to-face classroom environment. Warnock dubs this the f2f environment. I consider myself fairly competent with the f2f environment. However, I have little experience with taking online courses (this is only my second) and I certainly have ZERO experience teaching an actual course online.

So far I have somewhat clear expectations of when and how to blog, and how many responses are expected of me each week, etc. I suppose this is a key factor when developing an online course: clear and succinct instruction on assignment details and expectations. While some of the assignments are unfamiliar to me, I have no doubt they will unfold over time, and I will understand their purpose and relationship to teaching an online course. Also, the schedule is very clear to me. I teach ninth graders, and I appreciate the value of a clear schedule free from too much detail. As a teacher, I value effective teaching strategies, classroom rapport, and strong relationships with students. As a student, I value almost the same things. I like to attend a class where a teacher, or professor, utilizes all different teaching strategies and has a clear mastery of content their. I also value strong rapport and relationships between student and teacher. This may fall short in the online environment, and that's okay. Or maybe it will not! The concept of creating a relationship with students in an online classroom is something I'm definitely interested in attacking during this course.

As for the links, the NCTE article was refreshing to read in the sense that it pushes for technological advancement and education. Many of my graduate courses are, well...archaic at times. As a modern teacher, I am pushed by my field to always advance myself and adapt to an ever changing classroom environment. I take professional development courses whose titles vary from Common Core...Let's Do This!, to How to Integrate Technology into the Classroom,  and How to Address the 21st Century Learner. Students are obviously very different learners now than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. Some elementary students now receive their own personal iPad through their school district when they reach 3rd grade! What will this student look like in a college classroom 12 years from now? Also, how would this hypothetical student react to a college class where he or she sits for three house, twice a week, and hears a man talk-that's it, just talk. This idea of a hybrid teacher and classroom leads me into my final thought towards this course. It would please me immensely to learn more about using the idea of a "flipped classroom" and other similar tools to cut down on wasted classroom time at my own job. It would be amazing to put up a video explaining a project in depth, and then instruct my students to pull out their iPads at home, view my tutorial, and then come back with questions. This would save SO MUCH TIME and free up space for me to do another activity or squeeze in one more real-life example.

The Winthrop Policy for Technology further supports the aforementioned idea of a college class. In  my classroom, students use cell phones, lap tops, Chromebooks, and iPads to further their understanding of a concept. Does this occur at Winthrop? Maybe, if a professor or lecturer is willing to let students take notes electronically. Again, this is a topic that should be explored and discussed at the level of higher ed.

I honestly cannot see myself teaching a purely online course to college students. It's just not in my set of personal goals to teach at the college level. I CAN see myself using what I learn in this course to become a better teacher, mentor, and possibly administrator. I am aware that there are many virtual schools available to students who are home bound or live abroad, and that is definitely a track I am willing and excited to explore further.