[Editor’s note — We at XplanaZine recognize that the student in the wild is one of the least-studied creatures, and we feel that all would profit by listening to what they have to say about education. Today we again welcome contributor Katrina Rinaldi, a high school junior, who will share with us her point of view on what makes a good teacher.] Continue reading ‘Good Teachers Don’t Make It Easy’
Archive for November, 2004
I’ve never been good at fixing things. Then again, I’ve never really had time to practice and practice is the real key to learning. That’s why we spend so much effort in our programs at getting students to practice through simulations and internships. We know that practice makes perfect. In the future I predict that we will see technology used more and more for this kind of practice, while face-to-face encounters will be used more for assessment. Continue reading ‘Practice Makes Perfect’
Here is a list of significant posts in the blogsphere from the past 48 hours. Continue reading ‘Daily Tributes’
Yesterday, I had one of those crazy nostalgic moments as I was looking for songs in iTunes. It was something that happened because I was using technologies that placed me in contact with community, both past and present. My memories were triggered by Harry Chapin and Abilene, Texas. But what I learned was that, just as Harry sang, learning is about living and growing is about sharing. And that’s why P2P makes more sense than ever. Continue reading ‘Thanksgiving Memories, P2P, and Harry Chapin’s Teaching Moments’
At the Sloan-C conference, one of the premier gatherings for online learning in higher education, the mood was upbeat, but tempered with concern as attendees sought relief for their growing pains. There was no longer any need to convince anyone of the value of online education, nor that it was possible to launch a fledgling program in virtually any university habitat. In fact, many of the 1,000 or so attendees from around the world who came to Orlando to attend the event expressed surprise that their programs – no matter how fledgling – were embraced, often to the crushing point. Success ushered in severe and often unexpected problems. Continue reading ‘Sloan-C Conference 2004 and New Directions in Online Learning’
I had my epiphany about OQ, or Obstacle Quotient, back in 1985. OQ is a measure of how much (negative) power we receive or weild based on our roles as obstacles to progress. Early in my teaching career, I was the center of learning in the classroom and my OQ was high. Once I discovered the error of my ways, I spent a decade lowering my OQ in order to raise the level of learning in my classroom. And then, just when I thought I had forever escaped the OQ conundrum, LMS platforms appeared and forced me back into the danger zone. Continue reading ‘Obstacle Quotient (OQ) Down, Learning Up’
Technology in education has been hampered by lack of good support, and it’s pretty much everyone’s fault. For those who are interested in solutions, look no further than Apple and the free face-to-face service they offer at their retail stores. Continue reading ‘Good Help is Hard to Find’
I have a confession to make. I can’t dance. Truth be told, I have danced on a number of occasions and the result has always been worse than Elaine’s efforts on Seinfeld. The reason I can’t dance is because I have no rhythm. I hear the music but the underlying beat escapes me. I cannot grasp its true vibration. Continue reading ‘The Real Gap Between Teaching and Technology’
Last summer my two kids and I traveled to Arlington, Texas, for our annual vacation with my brother and his family. As you may know, Arlington is located between Dallas and Ft. Worth, and the town boasts proximity to some of the greatest amusement parks you would ever need to find. Each day during our visit we stuff ourselves into my brother’s van and start down the list of theme parks. We visit the same ones every year, and although it is now familiar territory, it never gets old and a good time is had by all. But last summer we got an unexpected treat. Continue reading ‘Online Learning: The Thrill Ride of the Season’
Yvonda Sieber refuses to teach home economics the old-fashioned way. After learning to design her own Website and PowerPoint presentations, she has incorporated technology into her classes, asking students to utilize the Web and additional computer programs for their lessons and projects. Mrs. Sieber is in her eighth year of teaching family and consumer science at Alcott Middle School in Norman, Oklahoma, where she was Teacher of the Year in 2002. Recently she was appointed to help train other teachers to use technology in their classrooms. Continue reading ‘Technology in the Middle School’
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