Skip to main content

Engaging Learners with New Tools in an Online Environment

To actively engage today's millennial teenagers, teachers need to rethink their use of traditional strategies and tools, and consider the integration of the Internet and participative digital tools into instructional activities. 93% of teenagers are online, 96% of students have used social technology, and 71% of students use social networking tools weekly (Siemens, 2008). Social media and Internet connectivity have made information and content knowledge more readily accessible and not limited only to academic environments. According to Siemens (2008), both domains of access and interaction have previously been under control of the teacher; however, developments with technology and social software have altered how learners access information and knowledge. By leveraging today's new technological tools and strategies, educators create meaningful online learning experiences in the classroom that will fully engage students in the learning process.

The graphic organizer entitled Engaging Learners with New Tools and Strategies depicts tools and strategies grouped into the three Cs of student active online engagement - content, communication, and collaboration) that I have used to enhance online learning experiences in the classroom with my students.  An effective online environment for students provide opportunities for constructing knowledge and interacting with content,  communicating ideas with their peers and teacher, and engaging in problem-based, project-based, authentic learning experiences that supports collaboration. Actively engaging learners in an online environment empowers students to take control of their own learning, and creates a student-centered environment that makes learning more meaningful and personal.   

There are several tools available for teachers to include the three Cs of student engagement in an online environment.  Discovery Education, Khan Academy, and National Geographic are great resources where teachers have access to instructional resources, tools, and multimedia to increase student achievement in all content areas.  Students are able to interact with these various forms of media in order to gain knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of content.  Learning modules and activities with multimedia content can be created to meet individual needs to personalize instruction of individual students or small groups.  For communicating ideas in an online environment, Google Drive is a great resource that allows students to create collaboratively or share their own ideas through documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.  For instance, students can work on a word document, and allow their peers to edit and provide feedback to their original work.  In terms of collaboration, Edmodo in the classroom is a social networking tool that can be used to engage students in meaningful online synchronous and asynchronous discussions where they are able to interact with their peers and teachers, and receive immediate feedback.  Teachers can post assignments, tests, quizzes, videos, and files as students work on collaborative projects with each other.  

Reference:
Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.

Other blogs on this topic on which I have commented:

http://brandyhiett.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/module-4-graphic-organizer-2/comment-page-1/#comment-12

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Edmodo: An Emerged Technology within the Last Five Years

1.      Identify a current technology that has emerged in the last few years that shapes learning or productivity in education. Edmodo, a free social networking site for education, was founded in September 2008 by Nicolas Borg and Jeff O’Hara.   Currently having over 30 million users, Edmodo allows teachers to explore the use of social networking in the classroom with students (Hutter, C., 2014).   Students are able to collaborate with other students, post assignments, take quizzes and polls, and share multimedia files with class.   Teachers are able to provide instant feedback to students on their progress, keep parents informed and up-to-date, and facilitate online collaboration to enhance learning in the classroom.   2.      What problems or challenges have been associated with this technology? One of the major challenges with this tool is the criticism of others that believe social networking should not be allowed in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

In an online learning community, instructors must have the pedagogy and skills in managing and facilitating this environment where the learners are able to actively engage in the learning process of making meaning and constructing knowledge that is meaningful to them.  The use of collaboration is essential in accomplishing this. Palloff and Pratt (2005) maintain that collaboration is the hallmark of constructivism, and "the heart and soul" of the online learning environment.  Through collaboration in a virtual environment, the student has the opportunity to actively engage in collaborative work with a group of peers that will deepen his or her own knowledge and understanding, and  enhance critical thinking skills that are essential for today's globalized economy and 21st century society.  Critical thinking skills are easier to enhance through one's participation in collaboration, than it is to try and master individually (2005).  Hurst and Thomas stated that "c...
Post a Comment
Read more