Week 4 Response

I responded to the following blog site: http://transeyblogs.blogspot.com/2011/12/element-of-collaborative-interaction-as.html?showComment=1325387895473#c4417761145054554496

Week 4 Response

I responded to the following blog site: http://helloworld-educationaltechnology.blogspot.com/2011/12/week-4-what-online-tools-are-available.html?showComment=1325387459758#c2001839979430280223

Module 2 Assignment: Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

Select one of these three elements for your reflection in this module and respond to the following in your blog:

• How has this element evolved?
• What online tools are available today to facilitate these interactions among learners?

     The element I chose to discuss is communication, this is because communication is the key to any and everything. As an educator, I agree with Siemens when he says that many people have problems communicating with other people face-to-face. The intimidation alone may cause that person to shut down or to not show their full potential and be able to express themselves. As discussed by Siemens, he points out that communication has increased through distance education, and the distance between learning has been limited. 

     Siemens also talked about created a comfort level for students, where they are able to communicate to people whom they would not normally be able to communicate with. Through the online courses, they become more comfortable and they are able to take that comfort level outside of the online class and engage in life-like situations, and of which may be face-to-face. 

     I would have to agree with Siemens, because it can be hard to read in front of strangers or engage in educational conversations with strangers you do not know. However, with the online courses they build a comfort level and soon began to hold face-to-face conversations and feel comfortable about it. This increases their self-esteem, where they are able to excel and achieve higher than they would normally. 

Online tools would include skype, facebook, and these are two that I am familiar with. I have learned to skype and it is the best thing that could have ever been  invented. It allows you the opportunity to talk and see people around the world. 

Another blog site related to communication is http://principlesofdistanceeducationblog.blogspot.com/.This blog listed some other tools that relate to communication online such as: webcam and email.  

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

The next Generation of Distance Education

After going through the readings and watching the videos, I can say that patterns show the importance of Distance Education. I think that many times, as an educator, we may mistake Distance Education for online work, but as Dr. Simonson has stated, online and E-Learning are types of self learning (Simonson, 2008). In the same way that you have to differentiate instruction and lessons, this would be the same with Distance Education. Every student will not respond the same or have the same outcome from distance education. However, for those who need and are able to improve from it, then it is for them. In reference to the Equivalency Theory, it proves the fact that not every method will be conducted or learned the same way, but the outcome of learning, will be the same.

In order for technology advances to be a success, we all have to be capable of supplying the material and knowing the material before we can teach the students. That falls back on keeping the traditions of a classroom, where the teachers all begin with the same vision in mind (Moller, Foshay, Huett, 2008). It seems as though educators are at times, in fear of learning new material, but in order to help those who are uneasy about new technology become comfortable, the new ideas have to be innovated, supported and displayed (Laureate Education Inc., 2008). The century that we currently live in, is different from what is known as the norm. The students seem to be born in the “technology” phase, so, in order to accommodate them, we have to be up to technology in our own learning.

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer) (2008). Principles of distance education: the next generation. Baltimore, MD: Author

Huett. J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63-67