This week in EDIT 762, after the uncomfortable realization that there was actually more to Module 1 than I had determined to be the case in my initial scan and planning for the week, and as I frantically made use of a VERY convenient snow day to catch up, I was asked to create a "learning contract" where I was to state my experience and beliefs about quality in K-12 online and blended learning, as well as provide/commit to times and dates I would be accessing and working on the materials in this course.
"Uh... Much more often than I did this week" didn't seem like a good answer, so I decided I would be accessing and working on the course every evening after dinner, as well as checking email routinely throughout each day. This also makes me less of a hypocrite, especially after giving the "break your work up and do it a little each day speech" just this week in my own classes. Win win!
But... Would this contract be my road to wonderful things, as when Orson Welles gives Kermit and Friends the "Standard Rich and Famous Contract". Or, will it trap me (and possibly force me to obtain legal counsel), as when Homer makes a deal with the Devil for a doughnut?
Upon reflection, I think it's probably the former. Having committed to set times to access the course will, if nothing else, keep me from any more uncomfortable realizations.
This is actually pretty odd for me, as I have historically been a rather indifferent student... In high school I had a 1440 SAT and a 2.2 GPA (not a typo). I just didn't do my work. I pulled it together a bit in college, but even then it was mostly because college is much more about tests than it is about homework.
I have often heard of the curse parents convey to their children, that they have two kids just like them. My wife and I don't have any children, but the irony is not lost upon me that I now work as a teacher of students, many of whom have the same work habits I used to have. Now it is ME demanding that students show work, even if they understand how to do things. Now it is ME giving speeches about breaking up assignments into smaller chunks.
The other thing, though, is that last semester (my first in the BOLS program) I WAS a good student. I did all of my readings (in college before, I actually stopped buying books because I realized I was wasting money when I never did the reading, and could pass the tests just from lectures), I completed all of my assignments in a timely manner, and I got straight As for the first time in my life. I don't think I even missed a single point in any of the 3 courses.
Now, part of this is that I am now 45, and (maybe?) maturing, but I actually think another factor is what was mentioned in the Thurmond and Wombach article, that online courses can increase student engagement over a traditional setting, accessing materials every day, where students in brick and mortar might access materials one or two days ahead of time (or in my case, never) before attending a lecture session. (Thurmond & Wambach, 2004)
This, I think, is one of the reasons I find online and blended learning can be such a powerful tool. I also find from personal experience that it is especially useful when working with special education students, as it makes differentiation much easier, extended time a snap, and can mitigate organizational issues (no papers to lose).
I was, however, NOT stunned to discover that outcomes for online and blended learning are often terrible, far worse than brick and mortar counterparts, and that often special ed training is virtually nonexistent. (Kamenetz, 2015) This is pretty consistent with what I found last semester in EDIT 760 and 761. In 761 I actually did an video summary of a literature review conducted in 2018 by Rice and Dykman looking at research done into special education in the context of online and blended learning, and while you can watch the video, the upshot is that they found that even in 2018, there was not nearly enough research on the topic, and in fact many districts didn't have a policy at all for dealing with sped students in an online setting. (Rice & Dykman, 2018) This is despite the fact that IDEA clearly applies to online learning just as much as it does brick and mortar schools.
Anyway, you can access my stunning insights about this weeks readings here. That includes 6 bullet points summarizing the big ideas, and a 25 word executive summary (of the executive summary) provided by a talking dog.
Really. Check it out.
"Uh... Much more often than I did this week" didn't seem like a good answer, so I decided I would be accessing and working on the course every evening after dinner, as well as checking email routinely throughout each day. This also makes me less of a hypocrite, especially after giving the "break your work up and do it a little each day speech" just this week in my own classes. Win win!
But... Would this contract be my road to wonderful things, as when Orson Welles gives Kermit and Friends the "Standard Rich and Famous Contract". Or, will it trap me (and possibly force me to obtain legal counsel), as when Homer makes a deal with the Devil for a doughnut?
Upon reflection, I think it's probably the former. Having committed to set times to access the course will, if nothing else, keep me from any more uncomfortable realizations.
This is actually pretty odd for me, as I have historically been a rather indifferent student... In high school I had a 1440 SAT and a 2.2 GPA (not a typo). I just didn't do my work. I pulled it together a bit in college, but even then it was mostly because college is much more about tests than it is about homework.
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| Stunned, by Casey Fleser image located here |
The other thing, though, is that last semester (my first in the BOLS program) I WAS a good student. I did all of my readings (in college before, I actually stopped buying books because I realized I was wasting money when I never did the reading, and could pass the tests just from lectures), I completed all of my assignments in a timely manner, and I got straight As for the first time in my life. I don't think I even missed a single point in any of the 3 courses.
Now, part of this is that I am now 45, and (maybe?) maturing, but I actually think another factor is what was mentioned in the Thurmond and Wombach article, that online courses can increase student engagement over a traditional setting, accessing materials every day, where students in brick and mortar might access materials one or two days ahead of time (or in my case, never) before attending a lecture session. (Thurmond & Wambach, 2004)
This, I think, is one of the reasons I find online and blended learning can be such a powerful tool. I also find from personal experience that it is especially useful when working with special education students, as it makes differentiation much easier, extended time a snap, and can mitigate organizational issues (no papers to lose).
I was, however, NOT stunned to discover that outcomes for online and blended learning are often terrible, far worse than brick and mortar counterparts, and that often special ed training is virtually nonexistent. (Kamenetz, 2015) This is pretty consistent with what I found last semester in EDIT 760 and 761. In 761 I actually did an video summary of a literature review conducted in 2018 by Rice and Dykman looking at research done into special education in the context of online and blended learning, and while you can watch the video, the upshot is that they found that even in 2018, there was not nearly enough research on the topic, and in fact many districts didn't have a policy at all for dealing with sped students in an online setting. (Rice & Dykman, 2018) This is despite the fact that IDEA clearly applies to online learning just as much as it does brick and mortar schools.
Anyway, you can access my stunning insights about this weeks readings here. That includes 6 bullet points summarizing the big ideas, and a 25 word executive summary (of the executive summary) provided by a talking dog.
Really. Check it out.
After reading this entry, I thought how well you and Dr. Stevens would get along. He too (appropriately) uses multimedia to enhance his writing and engage the reader. More important, the videos make your reflections memorable. I appreciate the thoughtful way you threaded 762 ideas through connections with Special Education. What do you think a teacher in this BOLS program can do to advocate for policies, opportunities, attention, etc. related to Special Education and blended/online learning? Are there actions you are taking in your own classroom as a result of your learning either here in 762 or other BOLS courses?
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