Last Reflection: Summary, Description, experiences, opiniones, suggestions and more....

I learnt a lot of things on this course specially in unit 2, 3 and 4.the reason it could be the type of activities,maybe some of them involved our personal experiences and personality, thats great.
I liked to work in pairs and my challenge was the last activity i guees, because I created an online class or something like that and it was amazing when I can interact with other web pages , not only with the blackboard.
the one of the implicit purpose of this course was to be creative and to explore our investigation spirit wasnt it?
i think, there is no limit to know something, if you like it... go and finding the ways of new opportunities to learn.

I want to take another online course for sure, my expectations were achieve, and sometimes i felt older when i tried to do anything with tecnology, after all i appreciate the effort of all my classmates and in particular the teacher, She made a good job by designing the course, thats really admirable. for my part, I have to study hard to get clear ideas and acummulate rich information to be helpful in the future.

in the other hand, when I did get the idea of some activity, i looked it out my partners opinions and that was my....impulse or inspiration? (if i can use that word) to continue to read and do everything.
Thank u!


I found a video on the web, about distance learning, the teacher said that there are three important aspects to be succes on online learning, he mentioned as characteristics of it. Discussion board, Academic chat, and assigments and what are the implication of each one.
copy this link and check the video!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5x4nu_7-strategies-for-success-with-dista_school

A reflective piece of writing Unit 3

It was a long Unit, but the mayority of the activities were interesnting, i like it when i learn something, in this case I learnt a lot.

When I focus on what am i going to write I like to be explecit (clear) and make sure to give alternatives.
some activities were longer than others, some atohers shoert but deep, and its good to know that a unit is a mixed of many assessments
not just lineal.
I liked the exercises with animals behaviors, in general i prefer the activities that implcates our opinions and proposals.

ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK

Here are some categories of criteria for assessment:
 number of contributions
 quality of contributions
 building on contributions of others
 summarising contributions

ACCORDING TO THIS CRITERIA, I DECIDED TO PUT THIS ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:

1.- QUALITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS: THE COMMENTS MUST BE AUTHENTIC AND SHOW A REFLECTIVE THINKING OF WHAT WE ALREADY LEARN.
2.- BUILDING ON CONTRIBUTIONS OF OTHERS: BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERACTIVE MODEL, CONTRIBUTIONS OF OTHERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND LEARN OF EACH OTHER.
3.- NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTIONS: POST ENOUGH COMMENTS ITS GOOD TO BE RESPONSABLE AND POAY ATTENTION OF THE ACTIVITIES.
4.- SUMMARISING CONTRIBUTIONS: THIS LAST POINT IS IMPORTAT TOO, AND IT SHOWS ABILITY TO UNDERSATNDING IN A SHORT EXPLANATION.

I ADDED ANOTHER CRITERIA TO ASSESS:
5.- REFLECTS ANOTHER REFERENCE IN COMMENTS, LIKE INVETIGATION, RESEARCH FROM INTERNET (PAGES, BLOGS, ORGANIZATIONS, BOOKS, AUTHORS ETC), STUDENTS HAVE TO READ A LOT AND FIND MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THIS KIND OF EDUCATION, SO IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW MORE INFO. THAN ONE TEXT, AND ITS REQUIRE TO MAKE PROPOSAL AND COMMENT COME OTHER SOURCES THAT THEY FOUND.

FEEDBACK:

Personal development plan
 development needs: TO ENCOURAGE AND IMPULSE THE STUDENT´S INICIATIVE TO PARTICIPATE BY GIVING CLEAR EXPLANATION AND TO CREATE A GOOD ATMOSPHERE TO WORK.
 development objective: DEPENDS ON THE ACTIVITIES, SOME REQUIRES MORE THAN ONE REFLECTION, SHOW EXAMPLES OF COMMENTS, PROPOSE ONE FREE ACTIVITY PER UNIT BUT ALSO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CONTROBUTIONS BETWEEN LEARNERS. cREATE A DISCUSSION AFTER EVERY UNIT.
 Strategy: USE FORMAL TEXTS AND SOME OTHER WITH CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS TO REFLECTS ON CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCES.
 Actions:
- BE KIND, BY GIVING A GENERAL CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIC AFTER EVERY UNIT, AND FOCUS ON THEIR ACTIVITY COMMENTS TO ENCORAGE THEIR LEARNING PROCESS, AND ALSO GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SELFCORRECTION, COMPARING WITH OTHER.

Exchanging Information!

Example objectives:

Ex 1 (a grammar problems conference) "In this conference we'll look at the present perfect and you'll share problems you have with the structure with others".
Pilar. "

Share the problems is the first step, and then you have to find some explanations to be clear on any grammar structure In this case dont get confusse with other porblems,you just focus on one first and little by little you can ask for clarification, also the observation is a clue to understand, because when you listen and look at others you can reflects on your own work. Write down all your doubts to create an order list of grammar points.


Ex 2 (an opening message for a conference on teaching listening skills) "Hi, everyone. Welcome to this conference on teaching listening skills. What activities and techniques are there in the pre-listening phase of a lesson? How can we match the technique or activity to the kind of listening our learners will be doing? These are the questions you'll have an answer to in this conference. Join us!
Tony"

There are many questions about listening, It is important to know that students can get efectivness on listening skill. because, Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult task for students.
it is important to reamrk which problems can we find on listening skill:
-Translating creates a barrier between yourself and the person who is speaking. that is very common, we translate to our native language and then it could be a non effective communication or understanding.
According to Kenneth Beare,on The Challenge of Teaching Listening Skills.
http://esl.about.com/cs/teachinglistening/a/a_tlisten.htm
I like to use this analogy: Imagine you want to get in shape. You decide to begin jogging. The very first day you go out and jog seven miles. If you are lucky, you might even be able to jog the seven miles. However, chances are good that you will not soon go out jogging again. Fitness trainers have taught us that we must begin with little steps. Begin jogging short distances and walk some as well, over time you can build up the distance. Using this approach, you'll be much more likely to continue jogging and get fit. Students need to apply the same approach to listening skills.

inferring and guessing by watching a film it can be the most useful tool to encourage our students, identifying the main idea of the conversation , but also ACEEPT that as a humans we can not understand everything at the moment, even in our native language, we find diffulties when we listen to other people.
Now, as teachers we must put in practice our listening skills ( in our daily life), and take in consideration the variety of listening techniques according to the level of the Ss.
Ex 3 (an opening message for a conference on learning and practising vocabulary) "In this lesson, you'll find specific information on a website and you'll practise vocabulary about food and nutrition. Edith."
I´d already found a very illustrating material to present this topic.
http://www.eflnet.com/vocab/food_vocabulary.php

and i got an example of vocabulary from http://www.schoolvideos.com/tgs/H2040TG.pdf
Nutrition Vocabulary

Calcium : a mineral that helps to build
healthy bones and teeth
Carbohydrates : nutrients that provide the
body with a source of energy for work and play
Fat : a nutrient that provides energy and
carries some vitamins through the body
Fiber : a material that helps to move food
through the body
Iron :a mineral that helps keep the blood
healthy
Junk Food :food that is high in fat and sugar
and low in healthy nutrients
Nutrient : a food substance that is of value to
the human body
Protein : a nutrient that is needed for the
body to grow, stay healthy, and build and repair
muscle
Vitamin A : a nutrient found in dark green,
leafy vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables,
and some fruits, which is needed for healthy
hair, skin, and eyesight.
Vitamin C : a nutrient that helps the body
fight infection and stay healthy; it is found in
fruits, especially citrus fruits

Suggested activities:
- drawing of food pyramid, using magazines and pictures, students must be complete the pyramid with healthy food.
- Make a list of shopping, the students choose appropiatekind of food.
- discussion: talking about their favorite food and which they consider the best diet around the world, like french cousine, italian food, mexican food, fast food etc.

What would you say?

Types of behavior...

1.- The squirrel: Always catching up. completes two weeks in one session then disappears again for some time.

2.-The stag: Tendency to dominate discussion at certain times.

3.-The magpie: Steals ideas without acknowledging.

As a e-moderator responses:

1.- Well this charater sounds so familiar to me, but if there is an order into the course he or she has to be on time, even when he can covers many activities before sometime, it could be good but it is important to check how fast did he do the assessment and also, if he understand everything.

2.- This case depends on the personality, and we always find this kind of person in every group, the person wants to show control but the point on this is to be polite and never feel like authority into the workteam, to be respectful is the main position. the moderator must be mark a line or guide the comments to not promote a fight.

3.- wow! wait, this is a serious problem, because when we use words from other people without references or mention the author, we are not honest, so is very common when he/she pretend to show his or her opinion but is not authentic, a good tool for that is read a lot, but always mantain our point of view in an independent way and take influences but dont steal them.

La carta de Raul:

first of all, he doesnt cover the whole topic, he just mentioned it on the first line and thats it. It good to know that he has doubts about something, but it is important to suggest, comment, share knowledge and participate with feedback.
the is another way to understand some points, for example he can research others authors and send a concrete questions about that, What are the concepts or definitions that you dont understand?

The Changing model of teaching and learning

I´m totally agree with Azael, related on to be clear about Holistic definition in teaching.
Because, as a study of whole filosophy teaching, holistic means to analize every part of something but at the same time taking every part of the objetc and create a complete study of that, in this case, this topic :The Teaching Model.

It is so easy to read each point and explain them, however it implicates more than words to be pratice and make a real change in a model teaching throug practice.

well I can refer this topic with a Company (as a analogue) because the teaching´s parts are conecected between them, and it is an integrated process likewise, the principal part depends on another, like a pyramid, for that, it is important to mantain a balance with all elements: persons involved on it, mechanisms, types of learning and resources.

The teacher always is a facilitator, a guide of the learning process, not only that, surely is an active character full of knowledge to develop skills in him/her self.

The case of students is important to take in consideration, because, their personality implicates responsability with learning and take action about anything, also they must be respectfull and be concious that work team, is not easy, but they are part of society and of course they can realize that working in groups can be more efficiently in many ways.

When we are talking about Independent learning, we are referring to many ways to support that, everyone has the same importance which helps to get objectives more efectevly.

Reflections!

Es importante considerar que el papel intelectual del maestro que imparte educacion a distancia es impredecible, ya que su formacion con esta tecnologia lo lleva a tener aun mas responsabilidad del proceso de aprendizaje, pero tambien a tener mas libertad para trabajar.
en esta unidad aprendí mucho de lo que se debe hacer para planear y analizar los distintos aspectos que conlleva la educacion a distancia, ya que detras de todo un plan, carta descriptiva o curriulum hay una gran gama de investigaciones asocioadas a lo que es la educacion en esta modalidad, ademas de que implica una gran dispocision al analisis.

Plan of online course

PLAN OF ONLINE COURSE
by Karen PDA.
Every online course requires a previous study that contains the main elements to put in practice a real e-course, such as: units, topics, objectives, methods and methodology, techniques, assignments, practice, evaluation, general and specific bibliography or references.
It is important to take in consideration to clarify every single definition before start to give general information about the course because, as a recommendation the description of any course it must be clear and concrete.
These are some points to help to design an online course:
1.- The objectives have to be based on students needs and make sure about the previous knowledge from them.
2. It is very important to specify the objectives into the course, and make a review of every point on this.
3. The learning goals also depend on the institution or academy where students are learning. Because it could be adequate to the professional development.
4. The activities may have to be active and focus on investigation by themselves because an online course doesn’t have space limits and the learning process it not occur at the same time.
5. Make a time line: because in this methodology the chronological steps are very important to have a begging and end in order to be more organize and facility the evaluation.
6. Use appropriate material, in this case authentic if the level is superior. The bibliography has to be contemporary with true fundaments.
7. Make sure that the internet system is working well, sometimes the uploading way is slow. It implicates patience to technology.
8. To have a control of Platform and group discussion. It is necessary to post the date and time to start everything that can involves all participants.
9. Give a guide of text recommendation: or not only texts but some material that it could be useful after every unit and improve the knowledge.
10. giving information about the type of evaluation and specify if each unit has a different way to evaluate, for example an essay, an interview, an exercise etc.

Cursos en Línea.....descripción!

Los cursos en linea que he tomado, han sido pocos y con un desempeño bajo por mi parte. Aun estoy tratando de adentrarme a este mundo que cada dia me sorprende mas, y ahora pienso que será cada vez mas util para mi y mi estado emocional y de salud.

Nunca he usado la plataforma, y me han comentado que es interesante, he visto algunas conferencias en linea, y mi hermana alguna vez me platicó de su experiencia con esta modalidad en el tec de monterrey me pareció algo de primer mundo, muy apantallador. y conforme fui concociendo el mecanismo, he comprobado que es efectivo.

el blackboard ha sido mi unica experiencia hasta le momento, y claro, algunas investigaciones libres en paginas electronicas que ayudan de la misma forma.

de acuerdo con un trabajo que encontré en linea de
Project Manager
E-Journal User Study
Sponsored by Andrew Mellon Foundation

los online features que se manejan son:

Videos or animated graphics

Hyperlinks from one article to a cited article in the same journal

Hyperlinks from one article to a cited article in a different journal at no charge
Hyperlinks from an article to a scientific database
Hyperlinks from an article to an author's website

Pay-per-view
Electronic manuscript submission
Online peer reviews

Access to articles in press (pre-press)

En donde se menciona que tambien surgen problemas con estos tipos de herramientas, como problemas con la imagen, resolucion, que la informacion se cargue lentamente, las fuentes o citas no sean especificadas en el material, la letra pequena en imagenes PDF y HTML.

por ultimo.... im getting blind because i dont use the screen protector...

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ON-LINE COURSES

PLAN OF ONLINE COURSE
by Karen PDA.
Every online course requires a previous study that contains the main elements to put in practice a real e-course, such as: units, topics, objectives, methods and methodology, techniques, assignments, practice, evaluation, general and specific bibliography or references.
It is important to take in consideration to clarify every single definition before start to give general information about the course because, as a recommendation the description of any course it must be clear and concrete.
These are some points to help to design an online course:
1.- The objectives have to be based on students needs and make sure about the previous knowledge from them.
2. It is very important to specify the objectives into the course, and make a review of every point on this.
3. The learning goals also depend on the institution or academy where students are learning. Because it could be adequate to the professional development.
4. The activities may have to be active and focus on investigation by themselves because an online course doesn’t have space limits and the learning process it not occur at the same time.
5. Make a time line: because in this methodology the chronological steps are very important to have a begging and end in order to be more organize and facility the evaluation.
6. Use appropriate material, in this case authentic if the level is superior. The bibliography has to be contemporary with true fundaments.
7. Make sure that the internet system is working well, sometimes the uploading way is slow. It implicates patience to technology.
8. To have a control of Platform and group discussion. It is necessary to post the date and time to start everything that can involves all participants.
9. Give a guide of text recommendation: or not only texts but some material that it could be useful after every unit and improve the knowledge.
10. giving information about the type of evaluation and specify if each unit has a different way to evaluate, for example an essay, an interview, an exercise etc.

CMC

Computer-Mediated Communication and the Online Classroom in Distance Learning

(is the third volume of a three-book series)

CMC is a magazine that show us many technology advances in Education.

It is clear that electronics can help us to discover almost everything in education and learning, not only as a method, it could be a way a life. but it is necesary to pay attention how is the impact of t.v. into the learning atmosphere for example, beacause human beings learn through the television since it was created, and what are the things that we can learn on the tv.

thats why the article talks about the educational system which includes diferents types of technology (media). In this case the teachers must be eclectic and be concious of the student's knowledge construction.

"Distance educators are now beginning to focus on a related set of notions: (a) there are different learning styles, (b) students create their own meaning when learning new things, and (c) what makes a difference in content retention and transfer is not so much what is done by teachers, but what students as learners can be encouraged to do themselves. "

I think, the goal of MCM is merely to promote the interactive learning by technology.

the integration of students, teachers and content are the principals.

It also provides a vision of telecommunications as a main and helpful way to teach and learn.

A Model of E-learning

the first concept to may have take in consideration is INTERACTION, because it acts as an aid to meaningful leraning, in others words is the clue to adapt many functions on this kind od educational program.
Intercation or Interactivity is always participating in traditional and distance education. the principal factor on this model is the development of personal relationship among participants, in this case students, teachers, family and other psychological factors as idenpendence, comunication etc.
This image can show us the variability of interaction between students and teachers, it also ilustrates the stundent-student interaction, student-teacher, teacher-teacher , teacher -content and student-content. the first one interaction modality can tell us that the student can work in a collaborative way and they can improve invetigation abilities and to develop many interpersonal skills.
The professional relationship among teachers is important to create a supporting atmosphere and also encourage teachers to take advantage of knowledge when they partipate in the teachers comunnity.
the diagram mentions the independent study that is coherence if we are talking about student´s resposability but it is necesary to pay attention in which ways the student-teacher interaction supports in a 2 formats and other varieties : asynchronous ans synchronous, comunication using text, audio,video and so on. I consider that the teacher´s toturing is the guide to follow the online learning succesfully.
the content it must be interactive, the web can provides us new opportunities
to know the techniques for studying efectively and then learning. another courious thing is that teh content can be adapted to teh students beacuse we find a lot of diferent exercises on-line.
Prensky (2000) proposes these elements:
behaviors through imitation,feedback and practice. Creativity through playing, association, drills, memory and questions, asking questions, making choices, immersion, observation etc. everything has a purpose on e-learning and he asks How the Ss. learn what?
each one works through something else and complete the e-learning plan with an appropiate mixure of student, teacher, content and external factors.

On-Line Learning

I found this work:

¨Online Nation¨
Five Years of Growth in Online Learning

it stars with these questions that i consider that they can open our perspective about online learning around the world:
1.How Many Students are Learning Online?

2.Where has the Growth in Online Learning Occurred?

First definition:
Online courses, the primary focus of this report, are those in which at least 80 percent of the
course content is delivered online. Face-to-face instruction includes those courses in which
zero to 29 percent of the content is delivered online; this category includes both traditional
and Web facilitated courses. The remaining alternative, blended (sometimes called hybrid)
instruction is defined as having between 30 percent and 80 percent of the course content
delivered online. While the survey asked respondents for information on all types of
courses, the current report is devoted to online learning only.
(Ph.D Elaine Allen, Ph. D Jeff Seaman, october 2007)

E-learning Definition 2 from http://agelesslearner.com/intros/elearning.html
Copyright 2003-2006. Ageless Learner. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Last Updated: October 15, 2006.

*The convergence of the Internet and learning, or Internet-enabled learning.

*The use of network technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere.

*The delivery of individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time, aiding the development of communities of knowledge, linking learners and practitioners with experts.

*A phenomenon delivering accountability, accessibility, and opportunity to allow people and organizations to keep up with the rapid changes that define the Internet world.

*A force that gives people and organizations the competitive edge to allow them to keep ahead of the rapidly changing global economy

Definition 3 from: http://derekstockley.com.au/elearning-definition.html

The delivery of a learning, training or education program by electronic means. E-learning involves the use of a computer or electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone) in some way to provide training, educational or learning material. (Derek Stockley 2003)

Electronic Portfolio: what a wonderful choice!

According to Barret ¨An electronic portfolio uses digital technologies, allowing the portfolio developer to collect and organize portfolio artifacts in many media types (audio, video, graphics, text). A standards-based portfolio uses a database or hypertext links to clearly show the relationship between standards or goals, artifacts, and reflections.¨

Well, i can identify the E-portfolio as a collection of works that i done throug what i learned. it could be the better way to keep my documents and investigations like an album. the web site electronicportfolio.org by Dr. Helen barret provides a general and specific information about how to construct one and which elements are required. it is a nice page because it is an example that contains details to develop one.

i add a video that i found, it ilustrates the clear reasons to use a e-portfolio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3tujXlbdk

ACIMED v.11 n.1 Ciudad de La Habana ene.-feb. 2003 EDUCACION A DISTANCIA

Y pensé que ya sabía todo sobre la educación a distancia........

tener un ejemplo de los estudios que se han logrado en un pais como Cuba, que desde cierto punto tiene limitantes economicos y politicos, pero que en cuestion de educacion rebasa las expectativas de cualquier nacion subdesarrollada.

es interesante conocer por decada los avances de la enseñanza a distancia y percatarme de las etapas que fue escalando. y como cada dia surgen nuevos artefactos tecnologicos para ayudar en el proceso educativo.

considero que es necesario, fomentar la informacion adecuada, como un curso o un taller a los docentes para que se adentren a este mundo y facilite su apertura personal, porque aunque en este siglo todo parezca ciencia y teconologia, hay infinidad de sectores resagados, y de maestros cerrados al cambio, limitandose a su enseñanza tradicional incluso metodologica.

por otro lado, como se menciona en el texto: no existe un metodo prefecto para enseñar, y no s eha comprobado aun, que la educacion tradicional sea la idenea, porque asi como hay personas distintas, hay metodos distintos, creo que en este campo todo es relativo, pero tambien se puede medir.

me llamó la atención, los puntos que se mecionan sobre la modalidad a distancia como:
-favorece tambi én la apropiación del conocimiento de manera independiente y flexible.

- El alumno aprende a aprender y aprende a hacer. Se fomenta su autonomía en relación con el método de enseñanza, su
estilo, tiempo de aprendizaje y la rapidez con que lo hacen. Se lleva el alumno a tomar conciencia de sus posibilidades y capacidades en cuanto al aprendizaje por esfuerzo propio, se favorece al unísono su formación integral al aprender a exponer y a escuchar, a reflexionar y cuestionar y se le facilita la participación en cualquier tipo de discusión sobre la base de la adquisición de la habilidad de crear y emitir
su propia opinión.

Educación a Distancia, Ayer y Hoy....

Conforme fui leyendo y comprendiendo lo que verdaderamente es la educacion a distancia de acuerdo a su evolucion hasta hoy, no imaginaba que existia un mundo de posibilidades.
en mi punto de vista, identifico muchos factores sicologicos que influyen en las dos vertientes educativas, presencial y a distancia.
- El papel de la educación presencial es determinante para una formación integral, porque conlleva la dimension espacio-temporal,
-la relacion interpesonal del docente-alumno
-la convivencia diaria con el lenaguaje corporal.
-los factores del estado de animo
- los dialogos que continuamente se crean en el aula o el area de enseñanza.
en este caso el rol del docente participa activamente al igual que los alumnos en conjunto.
considero que la educacion presencial que ha acaparado la enseñanza tradicional por muchisimo tiempo alredor del mundo, seguirá siendo apreciada como lo que es y por lo que ha ofrecido a la humanidad.
En la educación a distancia, considero que como es un programa relativamente nuevo para mí, no deja de ser interesante en todos sus aspectos, ya que detras de esta modalidad existen caracteristicas impresionantes de su proceso.
-la educacion a distancia no necesariamente se basa en la dimension espacio-tiempo del maestro y el alumno.
-las herramientas teconologicas son impredecibles.
-la autonomia del estudiante como una forma de ser autodidacta.
-el docente como una guia importante en el desarrollo de aprendizaje.
Existen muchos aspectos en ambas modalidades, pero tambien factores psicosociales que van a influir fuertemente en el proceso de cada una.
La educacion a distancia no necesariamente tiene que considerarse lo contrario a educacion abierta, la educacion es abierta en todos los sentidos humanos, con una finalidad en comun, pero basandose en medios diferentes.
las definiciones de los autores presentes en el articulo ayudan a clarificar el proposito de la misma, ademas de brindar la informacion para conocer y apreciar este tipo de enseñanza, tomando tambien en cuenta que las redes de la investigacion no cubren todo el mundo, ya que el proceso de mundializacion no ha completado su proceso, y hay que reflexionar que la educacion a distancia esta proliferando, pero que un porcentaje elevado de la humanidad no tiene acceso a una computadora aun mas en america latina.
En general, considero que esta modalidad a distancia es conveniente para cierto tipo de persona, incluyendo su nivel socioeconomico, su localizacion geografica con su cultura, su personalidad y sobre todo su disposicion a aprender por este medio.