Reflective Journal

Here are some of my reflections throughout this journey thus far.

Assessment in E-Learning Reflective Journal

Week 1 – Module #1: Why is Assessment Important?

The first week of class was exciting and very challenging, I was introduced to a new way of learning, -e-learning. This was my first time taking a class online and it has being interesting and enjoyable thus far! The class started with an activity or ice-breaker in which I had to summarize a movie of my choice. I thought that this activity was interesting because it promoted everyone taking the class to introduce themselves in a different way. Once I got used to the D2L system, I was able to start posting on the discussion board and exchange ideas with my colleagues. I enjoyed the posts on the discussion board and the exchange of ideas with my fellow classmates. However, it was a bit overwhelming at times I learned how to manage my time and how to be able to work more effectively. I also was able to take an online survey and share my thoughts with my classmates and instructor. One of the activities that I found very interesting was the use of a Wiki. I thought that it was an easy way to collaborate with each other and share our thoughts in regards to Netiquette. The readings for the week were interesting and challenging. 

Here are my thoughts in regards to The Buhagiar article (2007).

The Buhagiar article (2007) offers a great opportunity to examine an alternative to develop and administer assessments. As an educator, I have always thought that an assessment is a tool to measure student development instead of assigning specific percentages (grades) for completing a task.  I am a firm believer that our students should become global learners. Without a doubt, the use and the implementation of technology are changing the educational system and therefore the way that students are assessed.  Assessment for learning has come to refer to any assessment for which the first priority is to serve the purpose of promoting students' learning (Black et al., 2003, p. 2).

The author of this article mentions the different uses of assessment; screening, diagnosis and feedback were utilized in this class through the following activities:

 •Ice-Breaker – Screening - Feedback

 •Survey – Screening / Diagnosis

 •Wiki - Screening / Diagnosis

 •Discussion Board – Feedback

 I can definitely see the connection of these activities with the different uses of assessment. After reading the article it was evident that these activities had an intended purpose.  Sometimes our students don’t see the value of the work assigned by their instructors, but once they complete their work and go to the next level of instruction they realize that the work previously assigned had an intended goal.

Among the activities that we have worked throughout the week, I enjoyed all of them. I see that all of them have a clear purpose and makes the student start making the necessary progress in the course. The Ice-Breaker activity was quite original; I have never introduced myself throughout the description of a movie. The survey served its purpose, to get information about the background of the student. I enjoyed the collaborative work that a Wiki offers in a class, I will start using Wikis in my class more often. Lastly, the discussion board offers a great way to share the thoughts, comments and point of views from the students in the class. Although, in my opinion is the most time consuming among all of the activities that I have participated throughout the week.

As a high school Spanish teacher, I am committed to continue developing assessment for learning instead of the traditional methodology of assessment of learning. Although, due to district policy and state policy I am not able to completely eliminate the traditional type of assessments, I will certainly try to find ways to help my students to become global learners either in a conventional classroom or through the World Wide Web.

 José A Salas (McKinney, TX)

 Source:

 Buhagiar, Michael A. (2007) 'Classroom assessment within the alternative assessment paradigm: revisiting the territory', Curriculum Journal, 18:1, 39 - 56

Week 2 – Module #2: Emerging Practices of Online Assessment.

During the second week of this class the readings focused on different resources for online assessments, classroom blogging and an interactive inventory. I enjoyed the readings, although a bit lengthy and sometimes difficult to keep up, they offered a great amount of information for the online teacher. I have spent a few hours trying to get my blog up and running, I have never blogged before nor have I created a blog. I did not really see the value of blogging and I quite frankly was not interested. However, after reading the different articles assigned for this week I learned that blogging could be implemented in an online classroom. Since then, I have been working on my blog non-stop. I really think that a blog can be used not only for online classes, but also for face-to classes. I will be implementing a blog in my Spanish classes this year. I am sure that now that I have become a blogger, I will be posting how my experience was.

Here are my thoughts in regards to Blogs and Student-Centered Classrooms.

After reading the articles assigned for this week, I have come to the conclusion that “blogging” is a great tool to utilize in any type of class, whether this class is being taught face-to-face or online. Blogs provide an opportunity to create student-centered classrooms, it also allows the students to interact with each other and share their different points of view in regards to the topic being addressed. I have not incorporated a blog in my class yet, but after reading these articles and seeing how much students can benefit from them I will plan to create one for my students to stimulate collaborative work in the class. I can definitely see the benefits of a blog in a foreign language class.

Personally, one o f the most relevant points of the reading was the implementation of the six complementary “blogging practices”.

a) Share resources

b) Post students’ responses to prompts

c) Record lessons’ highlights

d) Post learning challenges

e) Reflect on what was learned

f) Engage in online conversations

Source: Classroom blogging in the service of student-centered pedagogy: Two high school teachers’ use of blogs April Luehmann (University of Rochester) and Robyn MacBride (Greece Arcadia High School)

I am not a blogger per say, but after reflecting in these complementary “blogging practices”, I feel that to start a blog with educational purposes is not as intimidating as it was before.

Once the purpose and the learning opportunities of the blog have been identified, it is time to foresee some of the challenges that I might encounter along the way. Introducing this new mindset to the classroom culture, however, has its challenges, as Mary Kalantzis pointed out in her dialogue with Cope and Lankshear (Cope, Kalantzis & Lankshear, 2005). Some of the challenges that I might have to overcome as an instructor in my classes are:

       Lack of participation from some students

       Technical difficulties, such as access to the Internet and not being familiar with the use of bogs

       Lack of “netiquette” from some students

In order to avoid or find alternative solutions to some of the road blocks mentioned earlier, I will keep in mind the following quote as a reminder throughout the blogging experience.

Cope, et al (2005) warn us to remember that it is not the tool that affords these new forms of participation; instead it is how this tool is employed by specific users in a specific context.

The instructor’s ability to recognize how this tool could be best implemented in the class will ultimately lead to a more successful learning environment.

José A Salas (McKinney, TX)

For more tips and e-Learning tools click on the link below.

Top 50 Blogs for e-Learning Tools and Tips: http://toponlineuniversityreviews.com/2010/top-50-blogs-for-e-learning-tools-and-tips/

Week 3 - Module #3: Perfect e-storm

This week has been very interesting, I have had the opportunity to emerge myself in all of the readings that were assigned for this week. For the most part, the readings were helpful and insightful. I feel that I have learned new ideas and tools to implement in my classes. In addition to the required readings for this week, I was assigned to share my thoughts about them in the discussion board (please scroll down to read my post) and share not only my thoughts about my post with my colleagues, but also to comment on my classmates' topics. Another activity that was assigned for this week was the creation of a concept map. For this activity, some helpful web sites were suggested for the development of the concept map and techniques in how to write the learning objectives. I have learned the importance of developing a well-thought concept map and how to write learning objectives in order to achieve the desired outcome for the class.

After reading the readings assigned for this week, I had to take a moment to reflect upon all this information. I have found each article interesting, engaging and helpful in some way, shape or form. I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts in regards to the articles written by Dr. Curtis Bonk.

In “The Perfect E-Storm”, Dr. Bonk writes about how education and education practices are being transformed by the use of different software and the Internet. “Many demands are currently placed on online learning in higher education. While we may not realize it, we have entered the perfect electric storm, where technology, the art of teaching, and the needs of learners are converging.”

As I was reading this report, it was interesting to see that I am already familiar with some of the emerging technologies that he wrote about, such as; blogs, CMS and LMS, collaborative tools (i.e. Wikis), online assessments and many others. His writing in his report helped me to confirm my thoughts in regards to education and education practices. Where education is heading…? In my opinion, we have entered a new era in education that allows us to share our knowledge in many ways with our students and colleagues. Technology has arrived to the educational system and I am sure that it will help to promote better educational practices for students; in addition, it will also enrich and enhance the collaboration among educators and it will help to foster education worldwide.

Giving and sharing, Dr. Bonk’s mentions how powerful and resourceful this can be. In his article, “Sharing… the Journey”, he kindly encourages the reader to keep in mind the importance of giving and sharing not only in the educational setting, but also in our lives in general. As an educator, I am always sharing my experiences, knowledge and stories with my students and sometimes with colleagues. However, I really didn’t realize that if I could take my sharing quote a step-further, I might be able to impact more students or colleagues with my experiences and help them to achieve their goals. In my opinion, the power of sharing and giving has no limits and it is a great way to collaborate, especially through the World Wide Web.

Are educators being prepared to implement the new technology in their face-to-face classrooms and virtual communities? I am enthusiastic and willing to try to incorporate new technologies, software and anything that could potentially enhance student engagement and performance, but I am sure that more educators will have to be trained on how to implement these tools in their teaching in order to continue evolving and improving the educational journey for everyone.

Technology has opened many doors for students and teachers; I am excited to be part of this E-Learning process as a student and as a teacher.

I am including a link for an article that I came across while I was navigating on the Web. This article mentions different ways that technology is improving education; if time allows, I encourage you to watch the videos.

8 Ways Technology Is Improving Education

November 22, 2010 by Sarah Kessler

Sources:

"30 emerging technologies for e-learning." — Bonk, Curtis. (2004). Perfect E-Storm: emerging technology, enormous learner demand, enhanced pedagogy, and erased budgets. London, UK: Observatory on borderless higher education.

Bonk, C. J. (2011). "Sharing...the Journey" - a prequel to The World is Open: How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education.

Week 4 - Module #4:  Variety of Assessments Tools

This week marked the fourth week of the course. I found myself halfway to the finish line; I am excited to start seeing the finish line on the horizon. Throughout this week, the readings assigned were related to the different views in regards to assessments. I enjoyed the readings and the video provided this week.  These materials have provided me with new ideas and thoughts on how assessments should be implemented not only in a F2F classroom, but also in a virtual community. In addition to the readings assigned for this week, I have been working very diligently on the midterm project with my colleagues. We were assigned a jigsaw activity in which each member of the team was assigned to research an assessment tool and share his or her findings to the rest of the team. I have been assigned to Team Grover along with Debbie and Erik. Like I mentioned earlier, we have been collaborating with this interesting and totally hands-on project. Here is a link to our project: Team Grover – Assessment Toolbox. It has been a wonderful experience to be able to collaborate with other classmates scattered throughout the country in order to accomplish the same goal: “to produce and deliver quality and substantial research”.   In my research I chose the Peer-to-Peer Collaboration piece. I have researched many web sites and different types of software that could be used to collaborate with colleagues and students. The findings of my research have been interesting and very helpful. I look forward to continue learning and I hope to be able to incorporate Adobe Connect 9 in my teacher toolbox.

Week 5- Module #5:  Taxonomy of Assessment

Another exciting week has gone by. Throughout this week we have been learning and reviewing Bloom’s Taxonomy. The readings assigned for this week helped me to reinforce my previous knowledge in regards to this concept. It was really helpful to learn about the different types of online activities that an online instructor could implement in an online environment.  I enjoyed working with the Assessment Taxonomy Table, please see below.

Once the table was finished, I submitted it to my instructor and the discussion board. It was very helpful to see my colleagues commenting on this assignment. Their feedback helped me to improve the activities that I have designed and to analyze my work thoroughly.

In addition, I also reviewed the concepts about rubrics. As an educator, I have created many rubrics for different projects and assessments but the readings and activities required for this concept were at a higher level of expectations. After completing my rubric for the required assignment, I posted it on the discussion board. The feedback that I received from my colleagues was exceptional; my learning experience has been enriched throughout the collaboration process. The exchange of ideas that takes place in the discussion board each week is phenomenal.  Finally, I have received great feedback from my instructor in regards to the midterm project. I was glad to see that the effort that my colleagues and I put into this project was worth it. I look forward to next week's experiences and to continue sharing this journey with my colleagues under the guidance of our instructor.

Assessment Taxonomy Table

Bloom categories	Learning objective verbs	Activity
Knowledge (recall, list, define, identify, collect, label)	Recall	Students will write 80 words learned in Spanish 1 with an accuracy of 90% in the target language using the Wiki created for the class.
Comprehension (summarize, describe interpret, predict, discuss)
Application (apply, demonstrate, illustrate, classify, experiment, discover)
Analysis (analyze, classify, connect, explain, infer)	Classify	Students will classify these words into categories such as nouns, adjectives, verbs and idiomatic expressions with an accuracy of 90%.
Synthesis (combine, integrate, plan, create, design, formulate)	Integrate and Create	Students will integrate these vocabulary words, adjectives, verbs and idiomatic expressions with an accuracy of 90% in order to create a brief story about their experience while they were taking Spanish 1.
Evaluation (assess, recommend, convince, compare, conclude, summarize)	Assess, Compare and Summarize	Students will check the work of at least two other classmates on the Wiki and will provide feedback in regards to their classification list and their story within 48 hours since the completion of the activity. Finally, they will write a summary of their experience in the class’ Wiki with an accuracy of 90% in the target language.

Week 6- Module #6: Cybercoaching - an Emerging Model

This week has been very interesting. The readings assigned for this week have been helpful and very informative. Throughout the readings assigned for this week I have been able to refresh some of the concepts and theories that have been already presented in class. Some of these concepts include learning processes such as “Constructivism” and how it is applied in online environments. Another interesting concept that has been discussed throughout the week has being “Cybercoaching”.
In addition to the readings assigned, I have also participated in the activities assigned for this week. Early in the week I had to create a pre-course survey for my future online class. The creation of the survey was a bit challenging. After choosing the software to be used to create the survey, the next step was to design the questions. Please click on the link to access the survey: Pre-Course Survey. The designing of the questions was challenging, but it was helpful to be involved in the designing and the implementation of this survey. The discussion board this week has been very active. My colleagues and I have been sharing our experiences and our thoughts in regards to the readings and our experiences with the implementation of some of the topics that were mentioned in the readings. Overall, I believe that my participation in the discussion board this week has been exemplary. I have been actively involved in the different conversations within my group. I was also able to make comments to other groups postings. I am still working with the learning objectives for my final project. I hope that I have my project up and running very soon.
The finish line is about two weeks away… Almost there!

José A Salas (McKinney, TX)


Constructivism and E-Learning.

Hello All,

After completing the assigned reading for this week, I felt the need to reflect upon all of the activities that have been assigned thus far in this class and compare them to the activities mentioned in the readings. I see great similarities in the philosophy behind the activities designed for this class and the ones mentioned in some of the papers. Constructivism seems to be the most effective educational learning theory to implement in a virtual environment. “Research agrees that constructivism learning theory, which focuses on knowledge construction based on learner’s previous experience, is a good fit for e-learning because it ensures learning among learners” (Harman & Koohang, 2005; Hung, 2001; Hung & Nichani, 2001; Koohang & Harman, 2005).

When I compare some of the activities that I have been able to participate in with some of the activities that are suggested in these papers, I notice that the process is very similar and that the activities are designed with a specific purpose in mind which is to foster and enhance learning through higher level thinking. In my opinion, these activities can be modified and reused in other courses. I will certainly use some of the activities that I have been exposed to during this course in my future online classes. Another interesting concept that was mentioned in one of the readings was “Cybercoaching”. Haven’t we all somehow already experienced this in this class?

I enjoyed reading over this concept and reflecting upon the importance of providing meaningful feedback. I have received great feedback from my colleagues and instructor throughout this class.  In my opinion, this constant feedback whether it is through an audio file or the discussion board has enabled me to be more receptive to others views and most importantly to fully understand the value and the importance of collaboration.

In regards to the question, “What will you adjust in your course to reflect what you've learned from these readings?” I will certainly make some adjustments in the activities that the students will be exposed to. For instance, I will design activities that will promote collaboration among the students in order to improve the learning experiences within the community. In addition to that, I will try to add some multimedia and “live” sessions among the students and the instructor.

I have come accross an interesting article, please feel free to read it.

Implementing Authentic Tasks in Web-Based Learning Environments.

José A Salas (McKinney, TX)

Source:

E-Learning and Constructivism: From Theory to Application. Volume 5, 2009. By Alex Koohang, Liz Riley and Terry Smith.

Week 7 - Module #7: Summative Assessment

This week has been very busy and challenging. I have been working most of this week with the final project for this class. I have found this project challenging, but definitely well thought out. This project has allowed me to put all the pieces together in order to be able to finish the puzzle. I have learned many things throughout this project, but most importantly I have been able to connect and apply the concepts that have been presented in this class. It is my sincere hope that this project becomes a showcase for what online learning has to offer for high school students. In addition to this project, I have also been able to read the readings assigned for this week. I have found the software evaluation form very interesting and quite helpful. I truly see that this form could be adapted and be used to evaluate software for K-12 institutions. I am planning to adapt this form not only to fit my teaching needs, but also to fit the needs of the school district that I work for.