INTRODUCTION
Communication Through Writing is a class that will teach the high school students the basics of the writing process while also teaching them how to integrate the learned material into the world outside of a classroom. This asynchronous class’s design is to allow students to work week to week, but will have the option to work ahead if they are prepared to do so. The students will always have access to me through various means in order to help answer questions or eradicate concerns.
Instructional Design Theories
I have found that there isn’t a real right answer when it comes to implementing a particular instructional design, but there are some of these theories that are more right than others. For me, I have dreamed of using the constructivist approach,
but in the first year of having my class, I probably won’t be good at it at all. This would be ideal, but probably unrealistic. The Agile Instructional Design theory gives more room for flexibility in learning for my particular structure that I am (for the most part) forced to follow by our administration. Eventually, I would love to give the students the ability to research the material or the problem, process the information, work towards finding their own solutions (whether in groups or independently), and then presenting their information. I would be there to give support and guide the students as they went through their respective trials and errors.
UbD Plan Implementation
When I was able to backwards plan for my course I was able to look at the results that I desired from my students and then find out how to best present the information that needed to be learned. Understanding what results I needed from the students and the evidence that I needed to see to demonstrate learning gave me the opportunity to better plan for assignments. Creating the 3-column table also gave me an opportunity to break down the activities and learning assessments.
Importance of Online Learning
Online learning is paramount to 21st century education. Students have the capabilities to process so much more in a much shorter time span. Looking up information for research used to be an arduous process. There were bulky encyclopedias that needed to be searched for information, copied and then rewritten. Many times that meant a trip to the library if these expensive forms of media were not in a person’s home.
Now students can simply find that same information and reproduce that same information in less than a few minutes due to technology. The hardest part would be determining if the source of information was credible or not.
Students also do not NEED a teacher standing in front of the class lecturing all day during every class period. Students need the flexibility to communicate with their peers and work at a pace that benefits the learner. This gives the teacher freedom to roam around the classroom and answer questions or (in asynchronous classes) simply respond to emails to assist in learning.
Enduring Understanding
What I recognized is that creating an ideal class means that there should be multiple forms of supplemental information in case students are lacking understanding. Creating a simple video to explain assignments should also be followed up with slide decks, books, or other sites where students can potentially find examples or solutions. Students need the opportunity to speak with each other to help process ideas and bounce ideas off each other if they so choose.
This class is based on communication, but I found I can’t simply give my students one form of communication (writing) in order to obtain and present their information.
Understanding that students process information by doing, by reading, by watching and other learning opportunities means that my class should incorporate some of those same opportunities in some capacity.
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