Teacher Moment

In this week’s discussion, many interesting facts came up that were discussed. I really enjoy how the conversations are dynamic and we can have a discussion about the topic rather than always sticking to the readings. Sure, the readings are threaded through the conversations, but we are dealing with real concerns or topics that we can hash out between all of us. To me…a much better way to learn and hold on to knowledge. As in teaching, I find myself learning more effectively by interacting with my colleagues and learning from their experiences and see what worked for them and what did not. Then you can take their best practice and change it to fit your style and to fit your outcomes. I also find this is more effective in the elementary setting. I am not 100% sure why but I believe it is because of the content that has to be taught. It does not vary as much as in high school. For instance, students have to learn the basic skill of addition and multiplication. It is a basic concept that students have to master but there are so many ways of approaching it. Unlike, learning the intricacies of physics, where there is not as a huge range of teaching the principals. To me, that is when experience from other teachers really shine. They can share what works and does not.

 

Definitions and Advertisements

A topic that keeps on appearing is what really defines open/free access resources? In the reading by Canole and Brown (2018), they admit that pinning down a definition is a hard task. There are so many shades of free and open it is hard to fully comprehend what is the purest form of open access and what are alternative shades of open access (Conole & Brown, 2018; Friesen, 2009).

In the past, discussion terms such as free-uim, pay-as-you-go, play until you have to pay are ways to maintain monetary stability. On a side note, Pokemon Go, which is a free game you can play, just surpassed the 2.5  billion……yes billion dollar mark in profit (and continues to grow) (“Sensor Tower,” 2019). How can a free game collect so much money? I think the same way that open resources are sustainable as well. It’s free until you want to use the bells and whistles and the main contributor …ADVERTISEMENTS!

Photo by Jacob Höferlin on Unsplash

I understand that companies have to be sustainable to support themselves, but advertisements raise many concerns in an elementary school setting. It is common practice for adults to be able to sift through the web and be bombarded by advertisements and never have a second thought about them. Unfortunately, young students do not have the skills or comprehension to be able to always understand that advertisements are there for a purpose. Training and lessons are coming around on how to get our students to be a responsible internet user, but it is a slow process. In the meantime, I am not sure if I want my students using open resources that have advertisements about “finding your new partner” or “curing toe fungus”. This maybe is the reality of using free services and maybe students can become desensitized to it (as most adults are) but it is a serious concern for me as a teacher. I would be opening the door for many parents to come into my classroom with a valid complaint.

Discussion

Through our discussion, it seems there is a disconnect to how open resources and education can prove to be a worthy investment of time to investigate more than just personal endeavours. Generally, the population is becoming more of a DIY culture due to the fact that you can basically look up anything you want on YouTube. For example, I am in no way a “car guy” but through the assistance of YouTube, I have been able to fix multiple issues with my car.

The discussion that arose from these issues, concerning higher Ed is a different story. Obviously, you cannot receive a mechanics degree after watching all the YouTube videos about fixing cars. It is a similar story in higher Ed. Even if you use all the free resources possible from a reputable institution you cannot receive that essential piece of paper that will further you professionally. We all know that knowledge is important but without gaining that degree or certification it doesn’t always further your career. Do not get me wrong, personal education is always a good thing but sometimes it just doesn’t count for much in the world…. Bummer!

 

On a personal note, I am taking this Masters program to gain insight and further my understanding of technology in education and how I can use it in my classroom to better my instruction BUT I am also using it to further my career and potentially become a principal and get the degree to get a pay bump.

Sustainability has come up in our conversations many times in class. This is a deep seeded question that has complex factors, but overall funding becomes the bigger issue. I feel for the groups trying to make a difference and have open access materials for all. It is a noble undertaking, but money is always an issue and how these groups can skirt around these issues is interesting. In our conversations in class, the consensus is that the government should be implementing funding that can support open education. My issues with this are that government is constantly shifting and funding for programs like this can be changed on a whim. Another issue that arises is that open education is a world-wide undertaking not just country to country. That is one of the main benefits of open access information is that it can be shared by all.

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I looked up this article and it is somewhat dated but outlines the problems that are faced in the States about open education.

http://cct.edc.org/publications/sustainability-challenge-taking-edtech-next-level

(Dickard et al., 2003)

http://cct.edc.org/sites/cct.edc.org/files/publications/EdTechSustainability.pdf

(The Sustainability Challenge: Taking EdTech to the Next Level | CCT, n.d.)

It shows where the States wanted to go moving forward but it does not seem that a great deal of progress has been made. I cannot downplay the amount of work that needs to be completed to achieve any of the goals that they are lying out but it does highlight that these are changes that need to be made to change the culture and identity of education in the States.

The identity of education as technology evolves is also an interesting notion. As students live, experience and learn more and more about how technology will shape how they learn is an interesting concept. We had a discussion about it and the different learning theories that are growing in the wake of technology. An interesting learning style is connectivism. At the start of the conversation I had not really heard of this theory of learning but as the conversation continued it seems that it’s the way that I have learned for a while but never really saw it that way. I was raised during the start of the internet era and it most certainly impacted my learning and how I view learning.

Principles of connectivism include:

  • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
  • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
  • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
  • Learning is more critical than knowing.
  • Maintaining and nurturing connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
  • Perceiving connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill.
  • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of learning activities.
  • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

(“Connectivism,” 2019)

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I believe that the value of education is not what books you read or articles you subscribe to but instead the value you receive from having conversations. Teaching has influenced me to become a person who views education through a practicality lens. What have I learned and how can I use it in my classroom?

When people are able to show their opinion on a topic and highlight their experiences, it can expand the meaning of the conversation for everyone. I am not saying to have an argument because that is not constructive and most of the time you will never change someone’s opinion (politics…) but there is so much value in hashing topics out and seeing the whole picture. It has happened to me during this program many times. I figured that I had something dialed in and all of a sudden, my views were questioned because someone looked at the topic in another light. The value is at the coffee bar…. or just the bar.

Featured image: Photo by Darren Chan on Unsplash

Reference:

Connectivism. (2019). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Connectivism&oldid=926124569

Conole, G., & Brown, M. (2018). Reflecting on the Impact of the Open Education Movement. Journal of Learning for Development, 5(3). https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/314

Dickard, N., Benton Foundation, & Center for Children and Technology (Education Development Center). (2003). The sustainability challenge: Taking edtech to the next level. Benton Foundation.

Friesen, N. (2009). Open Educational Resources: New Possibilities for Change and Sustainability. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i5.664

Sensor Tower: Pokémon Go made $2.65 billion in three years. (2019, July 9). VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/09/sensor-tower-pokemon-go-made-2-65-billion-in-three-years/

The Sustainability Challenge: Taking EdTech to the Next Level | CCT. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2020, from http://cct.edc.org/publications/sustainability-challenge-taking-edtech-next-level