10 Best Discussion Posts

7/27/2019 10 Best Discussion Posts

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Tiffany Galloway

EDTECH 523

10 Best Discussion Posts

Online Discussion Management Issues and Strategies:

1. There can be a lot of issues that arise with online discussions. As instructors, themore aware we are of these possibilities and solutions the better we can be prepared to

handle them. Some of which include: a dominant student and an inactive student. Both of

these types of learners can demonstrate difficulty in discussion forums. If you have amore dominant student they may post first for every discussion, which can lead to others

being influenced by reading another's initial post. For the respect of the learner and their

effort, I would only speak to that student to start with and express the need for everyone

to be involved. The need for given requirements may also be addressed and how it isimportant for everyone to get their initial thoughts posted. An inactive student may also

be approached in a similar way. A private email may allow for communication to see

exactly what is going on. The action of the instructor in either case would depend on thegrade level of the learners and to what extent it was having on the discussions as a class.

Responses to Discussions Led By Classmates:

2. While I was reading your discussion topic I thought about the recent school shooting in

Connecticut. I wondered how this could possibly be discussed in an online setting? I

teach first grade in a face-to-face classroom and it was so difficult to know what the rightthing to say or do was. It was such a shock and emotional time for everyone. Some

students came in talking directly about, others had not heard about it, and some parents

did not want their child to know so they wouldn't be scared to go to school. I had parents

not send their child to school for a while and others wanted to know every safetyprecaution we have in place. All of these emotions are expected when something like this

occurs and we were all in the same physical space to discuss and cope with it. In an

online environment, it would completely depend on the age level of my learners as tohow I would have addressed this tragedy. I think it would benefit older learners to have

the chance or choice to express their feelings and talk out what occurred, what was said

in the media, and how they feel about it. I would express that there are no clear answersand be honest with them. The best-case scenario would be to provide my learners with a

positive resource, such as writing letters or doing an art project on their own time to send

to the elementary school. I would use a discussion board to first express my feelings and

allow those who wanted to talk openly about it share their thoughts or condolences. Iwould then provide resources of what others were doing to help. This is a topic I will

need to continue to think more about.

3. Time: How could you manage your time to meet all your responsibilities as aninstructor, but still have time for outside interests and family?

Research shows the teaching profession has the highest burnout rate of any public service

job (Williams, 2011). That is why managing time for work and family or other interests is


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extremely important. Online courses are available every day of the week and at any time.

This does not mean the instructor is also available all the time (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). A

management routine should be stated and clear at the beginning of the course. Let yourstudents know how long it may take you to respond to an e-mail or upload an

assignment/grade. A time management plan may consist of a routine checklist that

involves: emails, discussions, preparing, and assignments. The text also suggestedto taking one complete day off per week. A routine can help you be a successfulinstructor as well as spend the amount of time you would like for family or other hobbies

you enjoy.

Williams, C. S. (2011). Combating teacher burnout. the Journal:Transfering Education

Through Technology, Retrieved fromhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-

burnout.aspx

4. I think it can be difficult to feel like you are not in control of a learning environment as

an instructor. This is my second year teaching first grade and it has already been a

tremendous shift from last year as a teacher directed environment, compared to amore student-centered learning atmosphere now. This shift has had a lot to do with the

Common Core Standards and complete changes in curriculum at my current school. Wedecided to get rid of our previous math program, which was teacher led, and move tocreating our own engaging lessons with the new standards. I can say that I love math this

year and the students do as well. They are in charge of their own learning and expressing

their thinking on a daily basis. For example, if we are working on story problems they getto choose their own solving strategy and then they are the "teacher". They explore

concepts with group members and are actually given the time this year to express

thoughts and not be rushed through a lesson just to finish. To answer the question, I am

still hesitant to how it would work with being an equal participant in my own teachingexperience with first graders; however I see the role as a facilitator as a great fit and so

beneficial for the students.

5. Do I feel that I need to maintain control of the leaning environment? Like some ofmy classmates, I definitely feel a need to maintain some control over the learning

environment, but that does not mean no flexibility. For example, a classroom teacher also

does not want to 'lose control' of a class - it usually indicates a class that is unfocused,unproductive and may have challenging behavior. An online class can have the same

issues if a teacher is not actively engaged in managing the learning environment. At the

same time, control does not mean there is no room for student input.

How comfortable would I feel giving over that control to the learners and being an

equal participant? I think this really depends on the subject, grade area and scope of a

project. As a math teacher, I am generally expected to be the subject expert; being an

equal participant is neither helpful nor a good thing. However, in a more exploratorycourse where the answers are unknown, it's ok for a teacher not to know everything, as

long as the instructor is a guiding student to a process. The instructor role needs to be

defined, when we talk about giving over control. For example, having students lead aclass discussion such as this does not make the instructor 'give up' control; rather it's a

different way of evaluating and letting students lead.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspxhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspxhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspxhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspxhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspxhttp://thejournal.com/articles/2011/11/03/teacher-burnout.aspx


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Voice and Tone Activity

6. Role: Teacher who wants social networks in the classroom

Social networking is a very popular means of communication among our students. It is

something that is a part of their daily life and catches their interest. Why not use what

they already know as a motivation factor in the classroom? These social networking sitesthat we could possibly allow can serve as a wonderful teacher-student communication

tool as well as a student-to-student informational tool.

To portray some of these examples of social networking that could occur in the

classroom, I will start with teachers setting up a Twitter account. A teacher can set up a

new account just for connecting with students. It is a popular way students connect witheach other and by having it in the classroom itself, formative assessments could take

place. The learners can also follow classroom updates, calendars, links, and other helpful

tips or tools. Many of our students also already have Facebook and with this a page could

be created for the students themselves with no other linkage to personal communication.

Lastly, Edmodo is a controlled social learning network that resembles a Facebook andBlackboard combined setting. Edmodo could be linked to homework assignments outside

the classroom as well. It is a way for peers, students, and teachers to communicate.

As a teacher who has taught here for many years, I see this as a huge benefit for learners.

I believe the educational components outweigh the risks. The social networking takingplace would be free and the more engaged a student is with the content the better they

will learn. I believe the more we make school feel like the real-world the more

successful we will be. Social networking in the classroom would do just that. It can be

incorporated into real-life experiences while at the same time teaching students tocollaborate online. Expectations would stick to the acceptable-use policy at hand as well

as best practices for this networking. Social networking is where you talk to other people;in this case it would be classmates and teachers. Please keep in mind those students whoare afraid to talk in public and share their ideas. These are the students who could be an

active participator with social networking in the classroom and really show who they are.

I truly think it would boost learning, understanding, and motivation.

Thank you for your consideration on this topic,

Tiffany Galloway

Adult Ed Discussion:

Situation: Claire has just finished teaching her first class completely online and has

compiled a list of concerns that she wants to address before she teaches the course

again. Here is the list: -Class participation in discussions was lower than Claireexpected, and students reported feeling isolated. -A few of the activities that hadworked well when she taught the class face-to-face did not work out as well. Students

got confused and did not end up demonstrating the desired learning outcomes. -Claire had to constantly clarify what students should be doing, which resulted in a lot of


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confusion overall. Some students ending up disputing their grades because they said they

were unaware of how certain aspects of the course were going to be evaluated. Assignment: You are Claires colleague and much more experienced in teachingonline.

Give three suggestions to her about how she can improve her course for the next

semester.Try to be as specific as possible. Then, comment on another classmates suggestions.

7. I could really see this situation happening as a result of a first online teaching

experience. I have yet to teach online and still in my second year of teaching face-to-face,so these are definite concerns! Three suggestions I have for Claire are to form a rubric for

assignments, set a schedule for posting to discussions boards, and add group projects. I

would make sure some sort of community builder is taking place at the beginning of the

class and represent a solid syllabus. The students should be required to view the syllabusprior to the course and ask any questions or concerns they may have. Letting her learners

know exactly what is expected provides clear expectations for everyone involved. This

should help create an enriching learning environment for her.

8. Making the transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching can be a very

difficult one to make, especially for a seasoned face-to-face educator. The items that

Claire presented is actually more common than you would think, and so therefore sheshould not be concerned - with a few simple tweaks she will have a successful course in

no time at all.

There are a number of things that Claire could consider to help address the low rate ofparticipation in the discussion forums. The two key aspects of her discussion

forums I would suggest she review is to ensure that the material that is beingpresented as discussion topics is relevant and engaging to the students, and that

the students are feeling heard and respected. Online discussion forums have

become the crutch of online teaching, and therefore most students have become

harder to engage in online discussions. By presenting discussion topics thatintellectually challenge learners, promotes active discussion and even a little

disagreement between participants will be very beneficial to overall collaboration.

Furthermore, by having the instructor actively participate in the forums, studentswill be more likely to continue their own engagement. When students feel that

their voices are are falling on deaf ears, their level of participation will

significantly reduce if not completely cease.

Most, if not all, activities from face-to-face environments need to be re-invisioned inorder for them to achieve similar learning outcomes than before. A valuable

aspect to consider is how student interaction adapts from a face-to-face to an

online environment. By losing aspects such as eye contact, body language andpeer-motivated participation, students may not feel the same drive to participate

and learn as before. This variances in interaction and disengagement from the

material may result in modified or unattained learning outcomes.My final recommendation is rubrics, rubrics, RUBRICS. One of the greatest benefits to

online teaching and online learning is flexibility (and with that comes ambiguity), and


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unfortunately one of the greatest shortfalls of online teaching and online learning is the

flexibility (and ambiguity). Since you as an instructor cannot always be in the "room" to

help answer questions and provide clarity, you need items in the course which providestructure and guidance in your absence. By providing clear rubrics for each assignments,

students will know exactly what is expected of them and their assignments. In addition,

by having a clear reference point of what is expected, the ambiguity is stripped andexpectations are clear students will not feel that they misunderstood or that theassignment was graded unfairly.

Community Building and Collaboration:

9.Do you see value in Web-based collaborative tools? I believe there is great valuein Web-based collaborative tools to enhance learning. The virtual environment is already

a different aspect for many learners and instructors compared to the traditional classroomsetting. According to Pallof and Pratt (2007), collaborative learning has been the most

influential component for online courses. These collaborative tools allow introductory

communication, discussions throughout courses, comments, group or team assignments,and reflections. I have gained experience throughout this program in many of these

collaborative areas. I can say that my knowledge in various areas has increased based on

being able to collaborate to discuss roles and expectations in my courses. Communication

plays a major role in development and fear is what keeps us from experiencing a highlevel of connection with others (Pallof & Pratt, 2007). Virtual communication provides

many advantages, especially to those learners who have a hard time with communicating

visually. What are potential pitfalls in implementing collaborative activities using Web-based

tools? Along with the advantages of collaborative activities using Web-based tools, thereare also some disadvantages. In a face-to-face classroom, conversations can continue

with immediate redirection by the instructor if needed. In a virtual environment,

discussions can begin to lag quickly. Participation is key and if there is not regular

participation the collaboration can get difficult. There can be a great plan made usingWeb-based tools; however if there are technical issues involved the collaboration can

again be unforeseen. Other pitfalls mentioned in the texts involved; cultural differences,

unclear expectations, and lack of skills associated with the given task. I believe theadvantages of collaborate activities using a variety of tools is worth the result for both the

learner and instructor. Pallof, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007).Building online learning communities: Effective

strategies for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

10. Do you see value in Web-based collaborative tools? I definitely find value inweb-based collaborative tools based on both personal experience and this weeks

readings. Personally, I have used web-based collaborative tools in my current teaching

setting with both students and colleagues. The tools allow students to share and reflect oncontent, to view various opinions, and increase learning through discussion. With

colleagues, collaborative tasks are completed from a distance including professional


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development, meetings, and problem solving. I have also benefited from these tools as a

student in the MET program. My participation and collaboration has increased my

gratification in the courses, helped me to feel connected with my peers, exposed me toother viewpoints, and deepened my understanding of topics. According to Pallof andPratt (2007), web-based collaborative tools can promote communication, growth as a

group, and personal connectedness. Online communication tools may encourage morereflective, honest responses. Students who normally do not speak up in a face to facesetting, may be more comfortable sharing. Greater responsibility and ownership to

learning can also increase. What are potential pitfalls in implementing collaborative activities using Web-based

tools? In personal experience, I have encountered the following pitfalls: lack ofstudent participation which leads to disconnectedness within the group, technology

problems, either due to lack of skill or tool access, and poor cyber ethics. Pallof and Pratt(2007) also identify several areas of concern when using collaborative web-based tools,

including miscommunication, lack of guidelines or norms, pressure to conform,

anonymity issues, use of technology, cultural or language barriers, and not understandingor maintaining privacy. Pallof, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007).Building online learning communities: Effective

strategies for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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10 Best Discussion Posts