This week in Internet for Educators we had guess speakers Donald Girouard and Shannon Horne.They discussed education and distance learning. there were several interesting points I took out of the presentation that really stood out.
The one aspect that surprised me were the amount of teachers and students that use WBC in the Manitoba Education system. ( over 1000 teachers and 15,000 students). Donald mentioned several benefits to taking an online course if they are unable to go to school. Some examples were how it is more accessible, resolves time table issues, prepares students for lifelong learning, and teachers are still available for questioning. He also discussed that it brings more face to face interaction and engagement as most courses allow video feeds. All these benefits are what are engaging students to take online courses mainly because of the flexibility. I was always under the impression that if you took an online course you are completely on your own and you would not be able to talk to the teachers if you had any questions but I was completely wrong. The speakers expressed that for the best students success they need both face to face interaction blended with an online environment.
The other aspect they discussed was how good of a resource Web based courses can be for teachers, learners and schools. When you really look at it, as soon as you become a certified teacher you can sign up and then gain access to the various resources available. Lessons, units, ideas that you can modify to your liking, everything is done for you. They went on to say that over 50% of teachers use WBC as a professional learning resource.
In the possible scenario where you would be hired for a teaching position on a subject that you have never taught before. Having this resource available would allow an easy transition into the subject and help guide your lessons until your comfortable with the material.
Overall it was a great presentation, and I will definitely take a look into WBC as a teaching resource
Stu, I had the same thoughts about online courses. I did not want to be all by myself and not have a chance to ask the teacher a question when I needed a clarification.
ReplyDeleteI like how the presenter talked about a blended environment. That is the trend for both in class and online courses. Both types try to incorporate the other for maximal learning benefits.
There will definitely be courses in our teaching careers that we have never taught before. I am glad to know the Manitoba Education provides us with a resource to help us be more comfortable with the subject matter.
Great Post.
The blended approach certainly does make the process less daunting for the student, but who is in charge of tracking the students progress? In a small scale system I am sure their is a plan in place such as a Resource Teacher to manage the students, but what about if the idea really catches steam and more students enrol. Are schools now equipped for this or will a position need to be created to facilitate the process? Either way the benefits are tremendous and hopefully smaller schools gain the ability to broaden the students course selection.
ReplyDeleteI thought the ability to get the entire curriculum is amazing! I can not believe that once you sign up, they have the entire term done. If I am going into a new subject matter and it's under this umbrella, there is no way I am not going to use this resource.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part about teaching, in my mind, is the preparation. Imagine having it outlined and you now have the ability to put your own personal touches on it. The scary part, is a teacher may utilize is as an out and could have everything done and put no additional work in to it. I guess it's all what you make of this incredible resource.