Module 4 - Posts

Blogs I have posted to for Module 4:

Katherine Crawford

Bradley Gogan

LaTonya Simmons

Module 4 - Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

This weeks topic has us determine which technological tools and strategies are best for involving learners in building content knowledge, engaging in communication with peers and instructors, and working on authentic, collaborative, problem-based tasks in the online environment.


All learning cannot exist without there being topics and CONTENT. And that content cannot be transferred if COMMUNICATION does not occur.


During the learning process, it is also helpful to work COLLABORATIVELY. However, it is impossible to have collaboration without some type of COMMUNICATION.

Finally, to connect the cycle, the CONTENT that needs to be COMMUNICATED, can be COMMUNICATED through multiple avenues that include COLLABORATION with others.


With the versatility of technology and the integration of the internet, the number tools to use to teach have grown and will continue to grow. A resource that can utilze all of the three facets, CONTENT, COMMUNICATION, and COLLABORATION, is a FREE resource called WIKISPACES.

WIKISPACES allows for students to collect and build content, communicate, and collaborate in multiple fashions. Students can participate in "Discussions," create "Webpages," "Email" each other to communicate, and build other collections of work together.

I personally have been trying to integrate this tool into my personal classroom. I have been making small strides with this integration. Although there have been speed bumps, more of my students are engaged and are enjoying the work. This is the best benefit because many of my students are in my course because of their dislike or difficulty with science. Finding a way to teach them, and have them enjoy what and how they are learning, is worth the effort it takes to create quality online assignments.


(I might use these graphic organizers in the future, and with the use of Google Docs, I can update them now and for the future. Please offer any comments.) 

Module 3 Responses

Posted to:

Katherine Crawford


Bradley Gogan

Christine Rand

Module 3 - Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Assessing collaborative work is tremendously difficult. The problem is that not everyone will do as much work as everyone else, but that does not mean that he or she did not learn as much as everyone or deserves a different grade. The problem is truly evaluating students for what they are capable of compared to what they are submitting. The only true way to do this is to start off a class by starting with independent work, then introduce collaborative work and community building, and then let them work collaboratively together. We can't just assume that everyone will want to work together and/or work together well. Dr. Siemens makes a great introductory comment where "We are no longer a society of individual geniuses." However, "In a society where individual contributions are highly acknowledged, collaborative learning environments can be a challenge for many students." The idea is to show students the benefits of collaboration before assigning it.


If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, the members of the group should try to communicate with the person to try to understand why. If the members are unsuccessful, the members should notify the superior about what is occurring. However, if the superior (or teacher) has built a good community prior to the project than things should run smooth, but we always need to be open to this happening. And f the student still refuses to do the work in a group, the teacher can always hold a majority of the grade to this aspect, thus making it mandatory to collaborate. Without this participation, this person will not pass, or be able to receive a top grade.

This participation will also be the means for evaluation which makes it ever important. Having the peers rate the peers, and receive feedback from others could be very powerful both for the giver and receiver. Dr. Siemens states that the students can do this by assessing their peers, writing and recieiving feedback from the entire community, and even evaluate student contributions as Wikispaces does with the history option.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning featuring Dr. George Siemens. United States: Walden University. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199707&Survey=1&47=4862829&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Learning communities featuring Dr. George Siemens. United States: Walden University. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199707&Survey=1&47=4862829&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Responses to Storyboard Post

Bradley Gogan http://gogans.blogspot.com/2010/07/storyboard.html

Aretha Coley http://arcoley.blogspot.com/2010/07/storyboard-best-practices-of-discussion.html

Katherine Crawford http://kat-edutech.blogspot.com/2010/07/copy-of-aea-267-storyboard-template.html

Nicole Harris http://nyharris.blogspot.com/2010/07/video-presentation-storyboard.html

Video Presentation Storyboard