Online+Learning+in+K-12+Schools

In my PowerPoint presentation I included many points about the power of online learning. I explained about the Net generation students and how they are infamous for their multitasking skills and short attentions spans. I also had a statistic that said 75 percent of students instant message while doing schoolwork. At the same time, the student is also playing and downloading music, watching television and talking on the phone. Net generations students have a high priority on speed, and they are strong visual learners and weaker textual learners. They are strong experiential learners and excellent collaborators. I then went into the different ways that these learners can experience technology with the different learning tools. I am not going to name them because I am sure that we are all familiar with them. The benefits of eLearning, however, are numerous. It is less expensive to produce. It changes the student/teacher roles. It increases motivation and self-esteem, increases retention, increases technical and design skills, increases the use of outside resources, collaboration amongst others, and pays more attention to the audience. Successful eLearning comes by varying the types of content, creating interaction that engages students attention, providing immediate feedback, encouraging discussion through boards, chat rooms, emails, and it is often self-paced. To finish the presentation I talked about technology as a change agent. It can be multi-modal, collaborative, global, and a huge source of information. It will bridge cultural and geographical distances around specific tasks, projects, information gathering, and relationship building. Studies show that students in classes that use computer-aided instruction outperformed their peers on standardized tests of basic skills achievement by 30 percent on average. Finally, the unskilled labor market is disappearing. Basic technology literacy is and will be fundamental for employabilitly. (Source: Dr. WIlard R. Daggett, International Center for Leadership in Education).
 * __KATHY RAMSEY'S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION__**

You seem to have covered online learning well in your presentation. What was the reaction of those in attendance? Were they willing to increase student online learning experiences now that they know the benefits, statistics, and value? It is so true that todays generation, the Net generation, seek technology over personal interactions. There is still an excitement about incorporating technology into the schools while it is second nature around most homes. Our house, for instance, has wifi, high speed internet, four computers, cell phones with unlimited data, netflix, satellite tv, etc., like so many others. My daughter is part of the generation of which you speak. She is 19, a freshman in college, and the only way I am included in her life is by reading her Facebook (though I was told I can't "talk" to her about it I need to comment). You bring up a good point as well about the unskilled labor market as well. Her college experience so far includes a general understanding of ecollege and online integration. Every class has a site, has assignments that need to be uploaded, and is the way to communicate with teachers and peers. To BEST prepare our students we NEED to teach these skills and the best way is by doing - not just telling.
 * __Lance to Kathy__ -

Thanks for your post. You did a great job.

__**Lance LaVanway's Prezi Presentation**__ There was a great deal of interest in my presentation as both my administrator and the two teachers invited were amenable to technology integration, though as my principal first stated, “his hands were tied when financing any new endeavors”. Internally, this excited me while he did not know that my presentation was for integration of something already available but underutilized. During the presentation I first discussed Moodle as it would appear to a computer novice. I progressed down a path of understanding covering what Moodle is, integration into lessons, advantages to students and parents, information from the learning resources as to research behind the value of course management systems and our own implementation of Moodle, Google Docs, and our Curriculum mapping project.

Currently our school wide system is in the beginning stages of implementing a curriculum mapping project where grade level teams are collaborating on the materials used to teach lessons, the assessments used, and the tools needed to supplement activities. Set up within Google Docs are spreadsheets where we are listing our activities, procedures, and materials to meet the requirements of the state. My goal with my presentation was to show that Moodle, already available to our district through the ISD, can be an integral part of the curriculum mapping project. I presented the idea that, as we are mapping, we can create links to assessments created by Data Director, we can link to classroom blogs where posts inform of current and future assignments, and we can begin to introduce students to online learning by participating in shared implementation of classroom instruction. My presentation ended with a YouTube video that summed up my feeling about how we could implement Moodle effectively. The video showed, most notably, that full integration takes time. Building as a team, step by step, and adding new content as it is learned and needed is the best way to begin any course management system.

Additionally, I used a new to me and unfamiliar presentation platform to present my ideas. Prezi has been around for a while and I have seen others use it effectively. This was my first use of this presentation tool and I wished to convey the premise that learning a new tool, with today’s advances in online tutoring, can effectively develop understanding when effort is put forth and fear of change does not impede progress. Questions about Moodle were posed and everyone was receptive to the ideas I put forth. I concluded by suggesting that my peers seek further resources to generate personal opinions and alternate options. I then challenged us to come together again in a week to discuss our views, conclusions, and apprehensions. What this process may need is a leader to set up and begin. When effectively modeled, I believe my peers will collaborate and improve the site as we engage the learner with this new and untapped resource.

Prezi Presentation at:

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Thanks for sharing the link to your presentation. I liked the look of it so much that I did my presentation over, because the prezi program seemed very functional for this purpose. You had many great points for why a LMS should be used in schools. It seems to be a no brainer that LMS only improves the learning environment and gives students a better chance at succeeding not only in the classrooms, but in a world that depends so much on technology. Wow! This sounds so complex. Of course, everything seems hard until you try it and use it. It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your presentation. I would be interested in how your next meeting with your colleagues work out. I wonder if they will try some of your suggestions. I watched the YouTube video that you included in your presentation. Thank you for sharing.
 * Matt to Lance
 * Kathy to Lance

When I approached my principal and coworkers about viewing my Powerpoint on online learning, they had prior knowledge on the subject. My school participates in a compacted math program for fifth grade students that qualify for sixth grade math. This program does not use a program such as Moodle, but it is online learning. Students receive tutorials on objectives and visual graphics are used to explain math skills. Our students are successful with this math as they are independent learners and enjoy the additional challenge. Some teachers I discussed online learning with have used Moodle in the past for staff development. My Instructional Resource teacher has taken several courses online for teaching credits and finds it easy to manipulate. The only challenge they find is maintaining the discipline and motivation necessary to complete the assignments in a timely manner. My Powerpoint presentation referred to the benefits of online learning such as filling instructional gaps and applying authentic experiences. Students have the same access to online documents and articles that professionals are able to obtain so they are able to build the knowledge necessary to learn information in more depth. I provided several examples for using and applying Moodle in the classroom. Some of these examples were: With the various ways that online learning can be implemented and if the tools are available, there is no reason this tool should not be made available to students.
 * Keri Bara’s Presentation**
 * Learning logs
 * Forum boards- students can collaborate on a project
 * Learners as teachers
 * Live Chat
 * reflection
 * glossary
 * Maintain Data


 * Keri, this math program seems like a great tool for the classroom. What is it called, and is it a paid program? If you used something like Moodle in your class, would you have the technology resources to keep it going? Do you think motivation would be an issue for your students? Do you see your students using something like Moodle at home, or would you give them time in class to use it? I have used Moodle for a class years ago, but was not thinking of it as a tool for student use. I feel like soon there will be something similar that will be aimed for students (with more interesting graphics and tools like a dictionary). Emily
 * Emily, it is the Todd learning program and yes it has been purchased by my distract. A program like this works in my school because we have an abundance of technology resources. I have one to one Macbooks in my classroom. My student that completes sixth grade math using online learning has completed assignments willingly at home. He is motivated to work but often has a difficult time staying on pace because of his Academic pull outs throughout the day. This is a perfect scenario to complete the lesson as homework. I would like to implement this will all my students since I have the resources, but I know it will take time to familiarize myself with a program like Moodle enough to create my own course. Keri

__**Matt Maier's Presentation**__ Discussing the importance of LMS with my administrators and teachers was time well spent. I am fortunate to have a principal who likes to keep up with the latest trends in technology. She sees a lot of value in the incorporation of technology and learning. We do not use a LMS like moodle, but presenting this information made it clear that using such a tool would increase students chances at learning more effectively. It was brought up that not all teachers share the same enthusiasm for learning and using new technologies. This did not surprise me one bit, and we were able to reassure that as with all new things, they take a while to learn and master. Using a LMS is no exception. When implementing an LMS at our school it would be vital to start out slow, get a basic understanding, and go on from there. My presentation gives a quick picture of moodle, the features it has that I thought were of value, how such a program helps bridge the gaps in education, and my overall thoughts as to why an LMS is such a powerful tool. Though I have not used moodle in my own classroom yet, I definitely see that it would give my students a better chance at being successful. It would also benefit the teacher in a multitude of ways. Of the features that I have learned of, I am most excited about the possibility of creating lessons, building a class glossary, posting online assignments. I know there are challenges with using an LMS in my district. Being a district with many low income families I am already aware that there are some students who do not have access to a computer at home. There are ways to deal with this that would be worth looking into. I know there are many technology grants, as well as programs like Bridges to Digital Excellence. Feel free to view my presentation. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. [] Matt- How does your school use LMS? I had many members of my school who have taken courses on Moodle, but never used it as a learning tool in the classroom. In my presentation I presented an online learning course that teaches how to implement online learning. It can be found at: It may be a useful course for teachers that are motivated but do not know where to begin.Keri
 * __[|http://www.wtvi.com/teks/onlinedesign/default.htm#1]__

**__Emily's Presentation__** This is my presentation: @http://prezi.com/xklxv5q7zf5x/online-learning-modules/

I used a template to make my life easier, which seemed to work OK. I brought up the pros and cons of online learning in our school. We only have three classes for K-5 students. The K/1 teacher doesn't use technology in her room, so her mind was already closed. This week I watched a clip from a Kinder class that was using ipods to record themselves reading, as well as being able to listen and recognize letters and words. I digress...

The other teacher was pretty receptive to using something like Moodle, but would need more information to implement it in her classroom. My principal is a very hands off principal, so he is all about test scores, data, and improving student achievement any way necessary.

One thing I hadn't thought about was how this could look in an elementary classroom. I can see my notes or website links uploaded, but we do so many different things everyday that it is hard to imagine everything being online. We discussed maybe starting small and having other resources available for students to navigate through for extra help. I have always wanted a way to set up certain websites or games that would help in specific areas. This might be a tool to help with that. Tania to Emily I commend you (and the others) for doing a prezi presentation. I've tried to do one before and after many hours of frustration, I gave up. I could not figure it out for the life of me! Yet, I had not idea there were templates. I understand your frustration with your colleagues and administration. I run into the same problems, but I have some ideas/suggestions. If I am not mistaken, many of the topics discussed in a k-5 curriculum are very thematic by nature therefore may you all can set up thematic units on Moodle. Students can be involved by adding what they know, what they learn and want to know about each theme. Also, maybe students can participate in a virtual field trip related to whatever they are learning. I hope this helps. Good luck to you. Tania

TANIA'S PPT ON VLE'S



I presented my ppt to my foreign language department as well as my supervisor during our department meeting last week. I decided that I would try my best to keep it short and sweet because Monday meeting are always so painful to sit through after a long day's work. I should also mention that the majority of my department are not very tech savvy and often very close minded when it comes to introducing something new to their repertoire. In my ppt, I included basic information about what vle's are and what the potential benefits are in using them both for the students and teachers. During my presentation, I showed them examples vle's and provided them with the potential impact it could have on our students. We also discussed how we could use vle in the foreign language classroom and came up with many ideas. We all agreed that using a vle could be very beneficial to our special education students because they and their parents could have access to what they learn in the classroom. The reaction was a positive, from most, but many were unamused. I am not going to give up! I really believe this could be the answer to assessing student performance, especially orally.

I hope you all like it. I am a bit nervous after seeing your prezi presentation...VERY NICE!