Workshop Enhancing Content for Mixed Skill Classrooms Lesley

Workshop: Enhancing Content for Mixed Skill Classrooms Lesley Skousen, Ph. D lesleyskousen. com lesleyskousen@gmail. com

Instructions Ø Go to lesleyskousen. com Ø Hover “E-Learning” page and click on “Bryn Mawr Presentation” Ø Provides you with links for this Workshop Polling Data

Teaching and Online Tools

The Online Forum Ø Elegant Organization: Instructor-scaffolding, student direction Ø Dynamic Interaction: Each thread takes a potentially unique direction Ø Layered Communication: Reply to specific people, regardless of timing

Benefits Ø Multiple dynamic discussions on single topics Ø Introduces wider range of concepts Ø Allows for greater interaction Ø Personalizes education and Increases accountability Ø Gives time for shy, quiet, or deep-thinking students to participate Ø Facilitates better comprehension for ELLs **ELL = English Language Learner

Anatomy of Online Module ① Content Delivery ② Formative Assessment ③ Interactive Activity ④ Discussion Forum ⑤ Summative Assessment Padlet. com

Anatomy of Blended Module ① Content Delivery (Formative Assessment Optional) ① Interactive Activity (Discussion Forum Optional) ② Summative Assessment

Examples Padlet. com ① Content Delivery ② Formative Assessment ③ Interactive Activity ④ Discussion Forum ⑤ Summative Assessment

Lesson Plans: Forum Styles Forums for the classroom!

Forum Styles Ø Sample 1: Single question; 15 conversations Ø Sample 2: Seek-and-Share Research Ø Sample 3: Peer Review Feedback Ø Sample 4: Debate

Sample 1: Single Question, 15 Conversations Ø Works best with “how” or “why” questions Ø Includes sharing personal reactions, individual definitions or interpretations Ø Two distinct questions: Ø Primary Prompt and Secondary Response Ø Includes guidelines for primary and secondary answers Ø Each student’s thread becomes its own class discussion

Sample 2: Seek-and-Share Research What were the causes of WW 2? Research at least two forum sharing: Ø Ø Ø Ø Economic Depression Treaties Global Influence Technology Empires Social Status Civil War Political Ideology Works great with current events or tackling large content areas as a group

Sample 3: Peer Review and Feedback Ø Essays and Outlines Ø Power. Point Slides Ø Prezi Ø Piktochart Ø Storyboard or films Ø Mad-Learn Applications Ø Students read and review each other, offering advice for revision as they absorb content

Sample 4: Debate Ø Research / Content / Reaction Post Ø Find two classmates who disagree with you and post a response to their arguments Ø Find two classmates who agree with you and play devil’s advocate Ø Result: What begins as an assumption of understanding becomes incredibly complex and deconstructed

Interactive Workshop: Instructions Write a paragraph describing a recent traditional lesson (lecture / discussion / activity / project) 15 Minutes 2. Consider one way you could widen your audience through blended learning, especially considering your quiet, deep-thinking, or foreign language students 3. Post your description and proposal to the freeforums. net link 4. After posting, begin to read other proposals and provide feedback to their ideas 1.

Bibliography Olla Najah Al-Shalchi, “The Effectiveness and Development of Online Discussions. ” Journal of Online Learning and Teaching http: //jolt. merlot. org/vol 5 no 1/al-shalchi_0309. htm (Accessed on 15 March 2015) AR Roper, “How Students Develop Online Learning Skills” Educause Quarterly, 1 (2007), pp. 62 -64 J Du, K Zhang, A Olinsock, and J Adams. Graduate Students’ Perspectives on the Meaningful Nature of Online Discussions” Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol 19, No 1 (2008), pp. 21 -36 Michael Prince, “Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research. ” J. Engr Education, Vol 93 No 3 (2004), pp. 223 -231 http: //www 4. ncsu. edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Prince_ AL. pdf (Accessed 15 March 2015)

Lesley. Skousen@gmail. com Let’s Collaborate!! Lesley. Skousen. wix. com/introduction