Article review 2

John Cunliffe

August 2, 2011

EDU 685

Article Title:  Educating the Citizen of Academia Online?

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ927012.pdf

Review of article:

                This article discusses the pros and cons of distance learning.  In this article they are discussing distance learning in the Arctic/Norway section of the world.  Since Universities are sparse up there it is vital that students who do want to further their education they can must do it by distance learning.  The first issue they talk about is not being able to express oneself and show what you have to offer as a student.   I cannot learn just from a computer.  I need to personal part to it.  I need an actual teacher teaching me….the old fashion way.  I can and have learned a lot from computers alone but for me to understand something in depth I need someone there who can help me by teaching me the way I learn.  Teachers can adjust their teaching style to accommodate others.  I also enjoy the fact that if I do not understand something and I get it wrong, I can go to the teacher and ask for help and she knows I am trying and will help me whereas a computer will just continue and more on no matter if I answered correct or incorrect. 

                The second issue discussed in this article talks about the overuse of writing so they decided to use a tool called Elluminate Live.  This is a video conference tool.  This is not like Skype where you can see another person but more of a message board where all other students in your classroom can ask questions, show emotions about someone speaking, or talk into the microphone and ask questions verbally.  The tool they say is tough to get used to but once you do it is very useful.  This tool is to set up a “virtual classroom” so that students in different parts of the globe can attend class.  I have found an Elluminate Live Intro video on youtube.com that shows you the basics of the tool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZohAS1hos 

Course Objectives:

                This article is all about Global learning in a couple ways.  First, it is talking about how sparse schools are in the North.  We are lucky that we have an option of where we would like to continue our studies.  Places such as Norway do not have that luxury; they “attend” a university because that is the closest one or only one for hundreds of miles.  Second, they are using a web tool that is made for gathering students who are “across the globe” into one mutual classroom.  The use of this tool is to assist students who are unable to go to your school due to the distance it is away from you.  The only downfall about this tool is that does not give you a face to face person, just a voice. 

Impact:

                I liked reading this article because it showed me that we are lucky to have the things we do.  Things we take for granted that we have all around us and all the tools that are at our disposal.  This article has made me start to think more about “distance learning”.  It made me think about projects where we could link up to other classrooms around the country or world and interact with other students at the same age level.  They could compare class work, rules and regulations for their room, or ever just the weather.  Anything that is different to them is educational because they now know that everyone does learn differently.  I cannot wait to get into my classroom and see where all this new technology will take me and my students.  Technology is forever changing so the possibilities for “distance learning” can only grow and grow.

Reflection:

“Think with, think against and think for yourself.” 

                This quote above was in the article and the author explained his thinking around it but I would like to extend my thoughts of what this means to me.  It is a very interesting and useful quote that could be shared with any student you may have.  Think with.  I like this one the most because it actually reaches out to many students who in fact do think with.  Students now are learners who need to see, feel, and play with the object in order to understand it no matter the object.  If you want a student to get the hang of certain software, they need to play with it in order for them to become comfortable enough to use it in a way that is constructive.  In order to give your students a chance to learn you need to let them explore what you teach in a manner that they learn best with.  Think against.  This one I feel is about pushing yourself to find out more than what you initially thought.  Instead of just giving a bland answer go against yourself and find out more, push yourself to higher limits so you can understand further and gain a better knowledge on the task that was given to you.  This part of the quote also implies that it is okay to not always agree.  In many cases I have learned something but felt that they way the teacher explained it was not useful to me.  I would go about the process that was taught and teach myself a way to obtain the same answer just in a simpler way for myself to understand.  Think for yourself.  This one challenges students to be original and creative.  You do not always need to follow the crowd and just say what they said and be content, go ahead and express what you think and feel about a topic of study.  Those to think for themselves tend to understand things better because they have a grasp on what is being said and how they interrupt that in their own minds and can elaborate more on the subject at hand.  Finally this article was an easy read which made me realize that others do not have the same opportunities as we do and that even though other countries to not have the same amount of resources we can still learn from them.  They introduced me to the idea of “distance learning” and how it can affect your everyday life for the better and prepare you for your future.