VS Group Project-Calhoun, Cooley, Womack, Zamudio

Virtual Learning For Your City High School

Presented by: Briggette Calhoun, Kesha Cooley, LaCema Womack and  Rosio Zamudio

    Wayne State University- Instructional Technology, IT 6230

Week 14

My knowledge and experiences with Virtual learning for students in the K-12 setting is limited. All of my experiences surround distance education and online learning at the collegiate level with adult students. 

Based on this learning section and the scenarios presented in this section, online/virtual education at any learning level seem to face similar challenges, especially with resolving the best solution for student educational needs. Added, because the state has set up the requirement to include virtual learning in the K-12 setting, components with this learning style should be equipped to handle education changes for better outcomes. Adding virtually learning does not replace the traditional style of learning but should aid with enhancing and accommodating future learning structures and learning learning needs suitable for all students. Because of this type of virtual learning structure as a requirement, the need to design instruction and educational curriculum can not go unnoticed. The result would surely show in the educational outcomes of the students to meet the virtual school education requirements. The key is assessing how to address solving any problems that might occur with the educational objective and requirements that are not met by the students. Are teachers, (certified or not) able to meet the demands and assist the student within this structure to meet the needs of state and districts demands? Are our traditional teachers prepared to teach virtually with their past educational experiences in a face-to-face setting? To imagine a bigger picture, I would consider those concerns as areas for stronger virtual teaching success. 

Scenario 1

• You're a rural district with only a few hundred students total. A child wants to take courses like calculus, but they cannot feasibly be offered by your high school.

I would take into consideration the offering  availability of outside courses and potential online classes for calculus and what would be accepted with the current high school curriculum. If either is found, I would address and share the offering the district's governing body to follow the steps and procedures to add this type of course to the student's schedule and count towards the students credit or substitute for a relating class.

Scenario 2

• You're a principal of a school. An overbearing parent comes to you. Their first son had Mr. Siko for chemistry and hated him. He's the only chemistry teacher, and now their younger son has him. They want to pull him out and have him take it online. Can you prevent this? Should you prevent this?

The choice to pull the student from the current the school setting to an online class probably can't be prevented. I would consider  advising to the parent of options to assist with the problem to come a fitting resolution along with sharing the requirements for the student to fulfill learning requirements of the school and district. I would leave the decision to the parent after this is done.

• A child comes into your class, having transferred from a 'cyber school'. It is clear the quality was subpar. Any of this child's standardized test scores this year are tied to your performance evaluation under the new teacher evaluation guidelines.

I believe an analysis and further information is needed to understand what is needed to improve or understand the problems associated with the child performance  as compared to the new teacher evaluation guidelines.

Scenario 4

• I am a teacher whose district is embracing online learning. It is attracting many students from other districts, and this generates extra revenue (students = $$). I am asked to be a 'facilitator' for these students, who are not required to attend during the school day. I am not given extra release time for this. 

This would be something that could be added to the teachers personal development and interests. If this learning also adds to generate funding for the district, I would possibly approach  administration with adding or adjusting the teachers current status to an online component for their continuing education. If this fits with the development of the district's online learning plan, I would pursue a request for a job re-evaluation. 

Scenario 5

I am a 12th grade student who was diagnosed with leukemia the summer before my senior year. I am unable to attend a full day of school while receiving treatment. I want to graduate on time with my friends.

This is perfect scenario or an online learning environment with this type of situation. If an online classes(s) is available and can be part of the student's current curriculum to graduate, I would suggest this as a solution for to satisfy this students fulfillment  towards graduation .

Virtual View Part 2

Based on the reading what learning that surprised me was the presence of Virtual Schools that were international. I did not the the number of established online school that were in so many countries. I also did the know the establishment of Virtual Schooling as early as the beginning of the the Web. I did not have any thoughts of this are from my first post.

For the most part, the things that I did post about my familiarity with Virtually Schooling in the K-12 setting, (although limited) was pretty accurate. What stood out and was most interesting the with some Virtually Schooling be a state mandated. I believe with growth of the online learning, incorporating a mandate is not a bad thing. The growth of online learning is grown rapid especially with the reading mentioned of millennial learners. I can't do anything but grow from there.

I also believe that it is a total myth about online teaching being easy. I think that it is just the opposite and challenging for teachers to teach online. My major reason for mentioning this is because of the unknown type learning audience that you have more so to fit the  major learning objectives for achievable outcomes.

My Knowledge of Virtual Schooling

My knowledge of Virtual Schooling, specifically in the K-12 setting is minimum. The knowledge that I do have related is through my experiences working with high school students who are preparing for college. With this, my resources relating to virtual schooling include:

- High School and College online dual enrollment classes
- Online/Virtual college testing preparation programs
- Virtual student networking communities
- Virtual school assistance Webinars that are live streamed

Most of my knowledge about virtual schooling within the K-12 setting is based on the above. I do have a basic understanding of Virtual Schooling overall, but not to the extent of is structure and implementation for teaching and learning in the K-12 environment.

What I do know is that Virtual School is part of distance education in which I have a deeper  knowledge of. Added, Virtual Schooling is a more common and growing  learning source for Millennials.

Wikipedia and YouTube

Wikipedia is good reference for definition sources for medical education students but not for research learning. Most medical students have to have a research base in particular specialties resulting in detailed and advanced study. Wikipedia does not give enough resources for medical students complete these study concentrations. Therefore, I would not use Wikipedia a resource completely. 

I would on the other hand, I would  include YouTube as a medical student tool for learning. YouTube gives a huge amount of room for medical school resource sharing and provide visual imagery to enhance retrieval of stored information. The integration of YouTube also creates a unique way for educational content online learning and collaboration through real-life situations and observation. 

I don't necessarily teach with YouTube but my involvements with assisting medical faculty with their educational teachings, I have found the YouTube and popular method for e-learning and online education and research learning.

Although anyone can upload to YouTube, medical teaching and learning is somewhat reliable based on various copyright protections and permissible medical education filing sharing considerations.

PLN Udates

The following are my added RSS reader Blog selections:

- Patient engagement in the digital health era. I selected this blog partially with our current study topics for this class about engaging collaboration using technologies and also because of my related job involvements with designing learning using new technologies for Continuing Medical Education.I found it even more relating because it describes a new technology method for learning engagement with is new app (mHealth apps). This is form of digital technology is another developing initiative towards performance improvements for medical doctors and other healthcare professionals. From reading this blog I can see the enhancing trends of developing medical e-learning and digital technologies for research and medical e-learning educational communities.

- Trends in Online Learning: #FOAMED.   This blog is of interest to me because it again it my current educational research interests. It involves medical educational learning trends about free open access for online medical education delivery. This trend study of open access for learning  is inclusive of blogs, twitter chats, and other social media tools. From this blog, I found in really interesting with the fact that this form of open source learning delivery is actually being used by health care professionals for effective teaching delivery. This blog also supports my interest toward online medical education advances and development to enhance online medical education teaching practices. 

- Online distance learning: reflections on practice. This particular blog gave personal insight with using the current methods of distance education for delivering instruction as compared to past traditional medical educational delivery. Sarah Henderson is the originator of this blog gives her personal expertise as the Program Director and lead at the University of Edinburgh's Distance Learning Masters program in Pain Management. Her reflections gave me relating insight toward the developing directions of online learning in Higher Education and more specifically at a heath care learning institution. I agree with and support her reflection of the changes with medical online learning to be ongoing and promising for future health care learning.

The following are my related 5 twitter follow:

- Mike Cadogan‏@sandnsurf is a ER physician and co-founder of #FOAMED who tweet about medical open access learning teaching and learning. 

- Natalie Lafferty@nlaffert  is an open learning practitioner and tweet about medical teaching and learning using free open access learning education 

-  twitfrg@twitfrg this twitter is ran by Sophie Bishton who gives learning delivery through twitter to medical students 

- Esther Barsom@EstherBarsom tweets about medical research and education using videoconsultancy

- Digital MedCom@DigMedCom- this twitter post about healthcare social media and healthcare.


Reflection:  I have not really used twitter or RSS blogging as tools for learning. I have used twitter in the past personally and for another class but did not find it personally interesting. As I am using both in this class in more detail, I can see both as good resources for obtaining information. 

I think that I gravitate more toward twitter only because I have used it prior to this class and it seem to be a current popular and common tool for social media, networking and communication. 

A couple of things that I would want to improve for my information gathering are better learning structuring of information and better networking communication engagement, 

Web 2.0 to R.A.T.

I manage special projects that involve the use of technology programs for connecting data information required for participant education crediting. This data collection involves the process of connecting one system to another with input sharing starting from the participant. These participant are adult healthcare professionals, (physicians and nurses) who are from mixed generations of Baby Boomers, The Greatest Generation and Generation X.
For the most part, these participants have busy schedules with limited time to meet with for instructions on how to use and/or introduce a new technology program that is required to obtain their credentialing. I usually end up meeting with the healthcare professional's designee (secretary or coordinator) to give instructions and details about the how to use the system.
To effectively translate learning for a clear understanding on the process of how to use the system, I have developed a self guided step-by-step Power Point PDF instructional guide of details with animated visuals of each step from beginning to end. I use this Power Point guide with detailed instruction when I meet with the healthcare professional's designee. In addition, I email this guide to the healthcare professional to assist in the most case that they are not available to meet with me.
I can see many ways to use Web 2.0 tool to translate my step-by-step Power Point guide differently using the R.A.T approach.
Using Replacement, instead of sending  my instructional PDF guide through email, I would replace it by adding it to a cloud storage for open web availability and easier access. In this way, the instructional guide is readily accessible for all participants at anytime, especially for those healthcare professional with  time constraints. In addition, more related information can be shared within cloud storage for updated learning materials, online support and collaborative experiences that can also be used to help with unanswered questions.
Using Amplification, I might add and develop a  "Doctor and Nurses Blog" page to our information website homepage. Here the participants can rely daily, informational updates to the instructional guide questions and reflection of the learning material overall. This would also allow me have open access to respond to those questions and make adjustment accordingly.
Using Transformation I would use and incorporate a Social Bookmarking system using a website such as "Del.ico.us" for participants to add links to save and remember as guide for concentrated study. For the most part Healthcare Professionals are researchers and constantly studying materials for answers. This can be time consuming with the traditional style of research using hard cover heath books and journal. By adding the "Del.ico.us" web tool, transformation can be made from the traditional way of learning, to searching the same information on the internet for learning  that can be bookmarked and linked for faster result and with a better study guided focus structure.
I am not really in the K-12 teaching environment, I am in the role of an instructor but for adults. Therefore my response to using Web 2.0 tools using RAT approach might seem a little different and was a little tricky for me. Overall, I see that "Replace" "Amplify" and "Transform" can be applied in many cases relating to Instructional Design for learning.