5368 End of Course Reflection

Online learning is the most current and effective educational delivery method. The online model has extended an opportunity for so many in our society to begin, continue or complete their educations. Its convenience has made education accessible for many. In order to be prepared to educate students using this effective delivery method, ed5368ucators must know how to design and implement an online course. Educators must also know how to create varying online courses to meet the needs of elementary, middle school, high school and university students. Educators must also realize that online learning courses are also powerful tools for homebound and home schooled students who may not otherwise have access to accredited and high quality instruction. Online courses are also valuable tools for students in rural areas who may not have access to advanced placement courses or technical courses. Educators must know how to design and implement online courses in order to be able to meet the needs of “digital native” learners. “Digital native” learners have grown up learning with technology and the prevalence of online courses is a response to the needs of this technologically savvy generation.

I intend to use the course that I designed with the population that I designed it for. The fifth grade population at our school, specifically the students who were formerly bilingual and are now required to take the TAAKS test in English are in the greatest need of intervention. I have worked with this group for several months before the original 5th grade TAKS administration in early April, and now I am working with students who will be retaking the test. Many of these students have many academic and personal issues. Many have failed more than one grade and are overage and oversized for their classes; many did not experience bilingual education as it was intended to be implemented and are mono-lingual Spanish speakers. They lack English vocabulary and need refresher instruction in basic grammar. Their English reading skills are still developing and would benefit greatly from hearing passages read aloud to them. They are also in need of reading comprehension instruction, strategies and practice.

I will attempt to integrate online learning in my role as teacher and as a staff developer. I am concerned about the feasibility of implementation in both areas. I serve a community that in general, does not have computers at home, nor access to the internet. The only time that students would have to participate in an online course would be at school during class time, and I really can’t see that we could justify a student (who is already behind and who may not have well developed study habits or discipline) being removed from classroom instruction to take an online course in the computer lab. Most staff members have access to computers and the internet in their homes. However, I am unsure that many would participate in professional development on their own time. I believe that they would prefer to have professional development at school during school hours. I’m sure that they would appreciate the online format for the ability to work at their own pace, but being that we have Professional Learning Communities meetings on early dismissal days, I don’t see when teachers would have the time to participate in an online course.

I am still wondering whether an online learning environment is appropriate for elementary and middle school age students. I know from personal experience that students must be well disciplined and highly motivated in order to be successful in a minimally structured environment. I know that there are many students who could accomplish this successfully, but I’m not sure that the majority of elementary and middle school students would be successful in an online learning environment without intensive support from parents and teachers. The support also becomes a concern because in our community, not many parents or teachers have taken online courses and are not familiar with the format, expectations, responsibilities and level of dedication and discipline that is needed for success. However, I do believe that if the school provided the needed training and resources for students, parents and teachers that online courses could be utilized to supplement in class instruction for two important student populations: students in need of intervention and advanced students who need more challenging work.

I will share this new learning with the staff in a professional development session. I am always excited to share what I have learned in my courses with my colleagues. Many may not be ready to use the information immediately, but since technology is consistently growing and changing, I’m sure that at some point, teachers will be able to utilize the information. I would also like to propose the creation of online English and GED courses for the parents of our community. The majority of our student’s parents are limited English speakers and have not completed much (if any) primary or secondary education in their home countries or here in the United States. The parents would benefit greatly from having online ESL and GED courses available to them in the schools computer lab or in their home if they have a computer and internet access. I strongly believe that if we equip our parents academically, they will in turn be prepared to assist and support their children academically.