This week I decided to use Prezi. for my visuals. I am currently teaching a pre-Algebra class at the college level. The class is mostly for students with a specific learning disability. The rest of the class is a group of mixed students whom for one reason or another has either forgotten all of their math from high school or decided not to take the entrance test to college. I have one student who had a stroke.
With this mixed bag I have been trying to unravel how to teach so math makes sense to them. Some need the concept then the steps, others need the opposite and the student (who is very young 18 or 19 at the most) who had a stroke needs constant review and can not make jumps to combining steps. Now that I am in week 5 of the class I am transition the class to stations and packets to work more individually with the students. The first four weeks was revue of elementary math.
What I have gotten from this class is what I put in Prezi. What do the majority of students have trouble with, no matter the reason, in math (population 19 students).
Images for me are very important. I use videos online web pages pictures anything one can look at and gather information from that is not a whole bunch of words in paragraphs. So that is why I used Prezi, because the words are their without any images but circled and grouped. I believe this helps categorize the ideas.
pre Algebra notes on students in circles
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Week 7
This weeks reading, Video and links were great (not that all the other weeks weren't great too). First of all the TED talk was up my ally. I love clips like those and you tube now takes down anything with a whole song on it using digitized recognition software. In my opinion he is correct in what he is saying. Finally if a person does decide to create a piece and has the money to pay for the copy right license, they also have the problem that you tube or other host pages, will take down their work, then the creator of the piece has to petition to put it back up (source my son who reads up on these things).
As far as the web links the free ebooks are really useful. I have used the k-12 open text books and now I am looking into the college ones. I followed the link to the California Community College Consortium page and then to a video by De Anza college instructors talking about open book.
This was an eye opener! I just started teaching a basic math class at a community college, and most of my class could not buy the book (the department has some books available to loan to low income students), and the ones that could, finally did in the second week. I was happy to see that instructors are considering these options.
After the links I looked for a book in pre Algebra and found a clearly written one, good clear steps and hands on activities:
Open Book pre Algebra
My mind map:
My mind map got as confusing as my mind. Under all of those links I had other links, such as video clips not whole videos when teaching online. Text book has the open source book. Can't see them though.
As far as the web links the free ebooks are really useful. I have used the k-12 open text books and now I am looking into the college ones. I followed the link to the California Community College Consortium page and then to a video by De Anza college instructors talking about open book.
This was an eye opener! I just started teaching a basic math class at a community college, and most of my class could not buy the book (the department has some books available to loan to low income students), and the ones that could, finally did in the second week. I was happy to see that instructors are considering these options.
After the links I looked for a book in pre Algebra and found a clearly written one, good clear steps and hands on activities:
Open Book pre Algebra
My mind map:
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Week 6
My online students get activities linked to the topic, including (hopefully fun) videos done by other math teachers about the topic I teach.
I also include Forum questions that are designed to strike a conversation amongst the students. In my post certificate classes I seem to have a good response and can really get students discussing. The fact is that they are in a course out of their own personal interest. Therefore a discussion is what they crave.
The rest of the courses are less interactive and more research, text reading and practice based.
I am including a video I use for my math students.My favorite online math teacher is YAY math.
Here is an example:
Friday, October 3, 2014
Week 5
This weeks activities and reading reminded me of my attempt at getting a PhD in psychology in an online program. I was all gone ho about how I could increase my skills and become licensed to not only test children for specific learning disabilities, but also to put my psychology letter behind it so that it would be considered legitimate.
Biggest first step was finding a program that fit my needs. A program that aloud me to work any day of the week from anywhere. So I looked through many and found one that fit my needs. I would be able to move about freely without having to show up on campus, I would be licensed after taking the california licensing exams and I would be able to use the degree for what my goal was.
Taking the first course: This was the most impersonal system I had ver been in. Not only did it have the typical issues of being online (which I expected) but no interaction with anyone else, not even the instructor. So here I was reading about different methods, watching videos, doing research and posting statements and comments. The problem was that my statements and comments were to people who had taken the class several months or years before and my posts would be answered by the next soul that would come by who knows when. When I wrote my paper I picked a method that was very interactive with the client and would allow them to come out of their shell through questions given by the psychologist (design to trigger a response). I finally got feedback for my essays and the program specifically promoted behavioral modification (something I run from in my own practice as an educational therapist) and I was told not asked how it is all done today.
At the end of the course I left the program and I still have not (but hope to soon) picked a new one.
The feeling was one of confusion, loneliness and criticism. I hope in my courses to instill a more sense of community and interaction amongst my students. I promote speaking to each other about their students and techniques they may pick to help their students with basic cognitive skills to support their academic skills.
Techniques by educational therapist may not fit the mainstream way, sometimes this may mean running outside, swinging, climbing, pushing and pulling, working on timing all as the end goal to teaching academics. If the adult students in my class have a community that can give them feedback, they then can decide with confidence, what and how they will help their own students need to succeed.
My steps included for the integrated sensory class:
two face to face classes to learn the exercises hands on
online discussion about the students they are working with and what they are trying to do to help them in the long run.
materials to read
research
exercises to read about and try.
reflection on their studies and group conversation (virtually or in the classroom).
A long slide show (but well done) on online course and community:
building-community-in-online-learning-classes
Biggest first step was finding a program that fit my needs. A program that aloud me to work any day of the week from anywhere. So I looked through many and found one that fit my needs. I would be able to move about freely without having to show up on campus, I would be licensed after taking the california licensing exams and I would be able to use the degree for what my goal was.
Taking the first course: This was the most impersonal system I had ver been in. Not only did it have the typical issues of being online (which I expected) but no interaction with anyone else, not even the instructor. So here I was reading about different methods, watching videos, doing research and posting statements and comments. The problem was that my statements and comments were to people who had taken the class several months or years before and my posts would be answered by the next soul that would come by who knows when. When I wrote my paper I picked a method that was very interactive with the client and would allow them to come out of their shell through questions given by the psychologist (design to trigger a response). I finally got feedback for my essays and the program specifically promoted behavioral modification (something I run from in my own practice as an educational therapist) and I was told not asked how it is all done today.
At the end of the course I left the program and I still have not (but hope to soon) picked a new one.
The feeling was one of confusion, loneliness and criticism. I hope in my courses to instill a more sense of community and interaction amongst my students. I promote speaking to each other about their students and techniques they may pick to help their students with basic cognitive skills to support their academic skills.
Techniques by educational therapist may not fit the mainstream way, sometimes this may mean running outside, swinging, climbing, pushing and pulling, working on timing all as the end goal to teaching academics. If the adult students in my class have a community that can give them feedback, they then can decide with confidence, what and how they will help their own students need to succeed.
My steps included for the integrated sensory class:
two face to face classes to learn the exercises hands on
online discussion about the students they are working with and what they are trying to do to help them in the long run.
materials to read
research
exercises to read about and try.
reflection on their studies and group conversation (virtually or in the classroom).
A long slide show (but well done) on online course and community:
building-community-in-online-learning-classes
Friday, September 26, 2014
Week 3
- Analysis- When I analyze students and what goals they intend to reach as part of my course, I begin from the top down. My first question is what is my topic? For example I am teaching a Special ed Pre-algebra class. I then look at my student population- where some students could be in algebra and some should be in elementary math. I then give it a go at teaching my first day set up a straight forward here is the book, these are the chapters and this is the course goal. That is just the beginning! The actual analysis of my population begins at this point. I then look at the first quiz the first week. I listen to the questions and I pay attention to who is interacting with me and who will never contacts me. Once I have the class population in perspective I then begin the process of taking the core curriculum requirements and developing it around my students.
- Course Goals- My course goals are set by a combination of core curriculum requirements and population of the class, including their personal goals.
- Learning Objectives and Design- Learning objectives are personalized to each individual student. Once I know where that student is in perspective to the course requirements I can then personalize the educational plan. All of this has to happen within the first week of class, otherwise students feel as though they have no direction.
The course tours were very interesting because they give a different perspective from many different styles. Since I tend to be Eclectic in my teaching style I like to think that I can use these examples to build my own courses from these examples.
My link is a page on Online Course Design information page: http://www.samford.edu/ctls/archives.aspx?id=2147484104
Week 4
Hello,
After reading chapter 5 and watching the video, I went back to my Syllabi and thought about how it guided my students and put it in perspective to the ones posted. I found that I treat my Syllabus more as a general contract that states for students, what specific items will be due and graded. Most of my students mostly want to know about what counts for grades and when is everything due.
The other important aspects are a general description of the course and what the goals are for me as the instructor to guide the students on what is the focus of the class. Finally I keep it short and concise. I do not have students who read every detail and if I am not teaching teachers, I am teaching special education students so the shorter the better.
As far as when I start teaching the class I structure it week to week. I give the whole weeks due dates on Sunday (online) and the first due date is Tuesday the last is Friday.
If I am teaching a short course such as four weeks, I set up the class so that all material can be handed in the last week. I do not announce this per say, but if I have stragglers, I do then announce specific items due and I announce that the, last week is a review week including handing in missing assignments and review before the Final.
A good video about Sylabi.
This is an effective step by step explanation of how to build a syllabus for an online class:
After reading chapter 5 and watching the video, I went back to my Syllabi and thought about how it guided my students and put it in perspective to the ones posted. I found that I treat my Syllabus more as a general contract that states for students, what specific items will be due and graded. Most of my students mostly want to know about what counts for grades and when is everything due.
The other important aspects are a general description of the course and what the goals are for me as the instructor to guide the students on what is the focus of the class. Finally I keep it short and concise. I do not have students who read every detail and if I am not teaching teachers, I am teaching special education students so the shorter the better.
As far as when I start teaching the class I structure it week to week. I give the whole weeks due dates on Sunday (online) and the first due date is Tuesday the last is Friday.
If I am teaching a short course such as four weeks, I set up the class so that all material can be handed in the last week. I do not announce this per say, but if I have stragglers, I do then announce specific items due and I announce that the, last week is a review week including handing in missing assignments and review before the Final.
A good video about Sylabi.
This is an effective step by step explanation of how to build a syllabus for an online class:
Friday, September 19, 2014
Week 2
I scored an 11 on the beginner’s questionnaire, I am reflecting my mixed form of pedagogy, which is exactly how I teach. I am fortunate in the sense that my groups are usually small and I have to adjust my style when I suddenly find myself with more than six students. With one on one or online I can switch between student based and teacher based depending on the moment and where each of our goals are. I find that as an educational therapist and an instructor in an educational therapy program my students arrive with set ideas on what they are trying to find out. This automatically puts me in a position of teaching student based and at the same time I have long term goals that I wish to communicate to my student. Therefore using the moments given to me I guide the student while allowing them to guide me. I would prefer more hands on and less me telling them, but I find that sometimes it is just faster to say hey just do it this way! or other times I feel as though I am to exhausted to be that creative that I can just weave a concept into a person personal interest, but when I do (and most of the time I do) I seem to get a much better outcome.
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