EDLD+5368+Instructional+Design+Assignment+5

Students of today have grown up with in a highly interactive, multimedial world. As a result of this, students become easily engaged and interested in interactive, virtual learning opportunities. Online courses have the capacity to enhance conventional learning experiences with electronic instruction and to offer courses otherwise unavailable in rural or underdeveloped communities. Teachers of today who know how to plan and apply online learning are able to think in different, innovative ways that initiate higher order thought in their pupils. These teachers know how to take advantage of the students’ individual learning styles, to allow for multimedial exploration of subjects taught. They can think in terms of big ideas to build the habit of lifelong learning in students, and essential questions to arouse curiosity and interest in the subjects studied. Enlightened educators can then utilize their knowledge of the six facets of understanding (explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge) to design activities that will answer the essential questions that will be the foundation for the big ideas.

I plan to align the course with identified areas of deficit at my school. Essentially, I would like to align match the designed activities with each of the individual TEKS objectives and/or prerequisites. I would include accommodations such as audio recordings and large-print versions of text to make sure that students with special needs can understand the instructions. Although at this time I do not envision allowing students to complete work at home, due to inequalities in internet access among our student body in the future I would need to make sure that all students are given equal opportunities to complete assignments after school at the lab. Nevertheless, perhaps the most challenging task to complete would be to sell the idea to administration because of our emphasis on more direct methods of instruction and guidelines on technology usage ratios. This is the reason why I would most likely implement online learning for staff development to show faculty and administration how useful this resource is.

My technology integration plan calls for the implementation of an online course for staff development purposes prior to developing a course for the students. Because the STAR charts for our school have typically indicated that technological proficiency at our campus is below ideal standards, staff development in online learning would probably come across as revolutionary and perhaps complicated, more so considering the guidelines we must adhere to at our campus in the area of technology application. If we are to teach faculty how to plan for online instruction, then it will be of utmost importance to demonstrate consistency between what I do and what I teach. I feel I must become a model for backward design. The development of a template for online courses will be crucial for assisting my colleagues or grade level teams in developing their own learning experiences, especially in consideration of the amount of work that setup and administration of these courses entail.

Perhaps the greatest questions about online learning involve access to electronic media for all our students. As much as the advantages of digital automation are immense, a lot of our students either lack internet access or even a computer at home. Integrating online learning to my classes will certainly have to consider equal access opportunities. Another question I still have is about troubleshooting. As a user, it is most welcome whenever sites offer live support or immediate feedback; as a developer, student support could represent an entirely different yet parallel endeavor to plan in addition to the course. Most likely, I would have to generate a user manual, a “Frequently Asked Questions” page, and illustrative videos or presentations on how to use the course. Finally, I would like to research our district’s current policies regarding online instruction in order to make sure that any of my courses is in compliance with our guidelines.

Frequent experimentation with these new electronic tools will result in gaining confidence and experience toward the inevitable automation of public education at all levels. As methods of instruction change and new technology arrives, so will lesson planning and differentiation of learning experiences based on learning styles, technological proficiency, and special needs. How will teaching change? Teachers must be ready to adapt to the new realities of the information society. In the near future, I visualize my role as the teacher to effectively evolve and become that of a facilitator of technological literacy, as differentiated instruction is met by increasing customization of technology-assisted instruction. At the same time, I expect my professional practice to become more interactive than ever, highly collaborative and featuring increased knowledge in standards-setting. I also look forward to become more proficient in catering to all styles of learning to make my online activities more interactive and engaging while retaining their purpose to illustrate. Unquestionably, technology will transform education.