Technology Planning and Integration

Technology Planning and Integration

After completing the flexible, distance learning course and the artifact using the WebCT application, I felt empowered to integrate the concept of presence in our interactions rather than our physical presence (Rudestam/Schoenholtz-Read 2002) for one of my own classes. Not to be outdone by its pay-for-play competitors, Moodle proved to be a powerful open-source application that could assist me with integrating a variety of web 2.0 tools into my Pre-Calculus class. This required a lot of planning and a steep learning curve, but my experience with WebCT and the sportsmanship class aided me in designing a learning environment where students could be supported in their learning and become more independent from me being the “expert” for the subject. This designed class was not a specific ISU class project, but it was an extension of my experience in CI 503 and was a practical-use solution for a class of independent learners.

The rationale for making this switch was multi-faceted: the curriculum of this capstone course was mainly review material, all of the learners in this course were motivated to take the course and learn the material as it is not a required course, and the administration continued to hint at the prospect of going 1-1 in the near future and were looking for ways to integrate technology into courses on a day-to-day basis. After I did a little research and talked to our local AEA, I learned about open-source Moodle and the free server that I had access to through the AEA. After a simple phone call, I had access to create as many Moodle classes as I needed, all of which were housed free of charge through the AEA.

My first attempt at designing an online course actually resulted in a hybrid course, partially due to necessity of students being present in school as mandated by administration, partially due to my inexperience with how things would progress. Many of the needs of students in this particular class boiled down to learning goals, assignment lists, and sample problems that give them a sense of the big picture. Many of these needs could be compiled into the Moodle template, leaving me with the chance to answer questions through forums and provide guidance when trouble occurred. It also freed me up to teach another section of math (Calculus) and trouble-shoot tech problems within the school. As Gary Fontaine explained, having the Moodle class page provided the students with “a sense of presence where they interact, not necessarily where they physically are” (Rudestam/Schoenholtz-Read 2002).

After my first attempt with Moodle, I felt as though it could easily be integrated into the daily work of Pre-Calculus. I fine-tuned the class template and have used it again this year. I currently am teaching the third round of Pre-Calculus via Moodle and have found that each class, even though the presentation of material is similar, results in a very different experience for each class and individual student. “Curriculum is not a static or finished product. It is always an ongoing intellectual endeavor, created, enacted, and re-created in specific contexts involving specific teachers and specific students” (Sleeter, 2000)

I felt as though this breakthrough with a manageable, cost-effective, student-friendly system really fit with what these particular students needed. It also grew me as a teacher and changed my perspective of presence in the classroom. The social aspect of learning was well rooted and manifested through online discussions, and I exited off the interstate of a traditional problem set math teacher. I began to see math as a set of tools that needed to be developed and explored within the context of real-world problems. This particular application organized the day-to-day operations of the context and provided a voice, either in class or online, for each individual student. The individual journey of each student became exactly that, individual. My role was to be there guiding them and scaffolding appropriate support, but what they got out of the class was whatever they needed for their own learning. It was not easy to plan and integrate those supports as there was a lot of front-loading for the class, but it made instruction and learning much more meaningful for the students and teaching more rewarding for me.

Rudestam, K., Schoenholtz-Read, J. (2002). Handbook of Online Learning: Innovations in Higher Education and Corporate Training. CA.: Sage Publications.

Sleeter, C. (2000) Foundational perspectives in multicultural education, social positionallity, and whiteness Foundational perspectives in multicultural education pp.118-133