Learning in Classrooms Versus Online

Learning in Classrooms Versus Online.  

In “The Trouble With Online Education” (Op-Ed, July 20), Mark Edmundson captures the inadequacy of online courses from the teacher’s perspective, and I can corroborate from the student’s.

I was a math-obsessive in high school. To supplement my school’s curriculum, I turned to a Stanford program offering online courses to gifted youth. I started the program with enthusiasm, but I soon felt alone and unsupported. I had no one to impress or disappoint. I struggled to stay motivated. It was impersonal and transactional, and it nearly destroyed my obsession.

A face-to-face meeting in a classroom imposes accountability, inspires effort and promotes academic responsibility in subtle ways that we don’t fully appreciate. On a campus, students attend class and stay alert because they worry what the teacher will think if they don’t.

Once they’re in the classroom, the battle is mostly won. As in life, 80 percent of education is showing up, in person.

ADAM D. CHANDLER
Burlington, N.C., July 20, 2012

The writer is a Rhodes Scholar and 2011 graduate of Yale Law School.

To the Editor:

Learning online is, of course, not the same as learning face to face, and that is likely good news for anyone who can recall an hour lost listening to an interminable lecture in an overheated classroom.

Good courses, whether on campus or online, are engaging and foster active learning communities. In the best online courses, learners connect, collaborate, inspire, discover and create through myriad technologies.

Coursera, just one example of online learning opportunities, touts active learning as one of its pedagogical foundations. It’s too early to know if Coursera will be successful, but I’ve enrolled in two upcoming courses because amid this grand experiment, I might just find the pure intellectual joy that can be found in a vital learning community.

SARA HILL
Baltimore, July 20, 2012

The writer is an instructional designer for Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, which is offering courses through Coursera.

To the Editor:

I couldn’t agree more with “The Trouble With Online Education.” When I went to college, my parents agreed that I should stay in the dormitories, far away from home. The reasoning was that the college environment would be inspiring and focused and would enable me to get help from my peers (and instructors) whenever I needed it.

Many years later, as a professor, I have found that there is no better way to inspire and motivate my students than in the classroom. The multidimensional world of questions, extemporaneous answers, spur-of-the-moment thinking, blackboard problem-solving and shared excitement in learning about how the world works will never be replaced by the one-dimensional world of online learning.

MICHAEL PRAVICA
Las Vegas, July 20, 2012

The writer is an associate professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

To the Editor:

I have been teaching online since 1998, and my online courses look nothing like those Mark Edmundson describes. The online classes at my college involve an average of 25 students. The vast majority of my students contribute to discussions online, not just the few brave enough to speak up in a traditional class. The lack of spatial proximity gives more students the “courage” to engage me directly. As a result, I carry on numerous conversations with individual students via e-mail over the course of a semester.

Online courses offer students the ability to add courses when those at desired times are closed or to accommodate work schedules. They allow colleges to offer more needed sections of courses despite space limitations.

So please, let’s not evaluate all online education based on the example of those at a handful of large universities.

JANE ROSECRANS
Richmond, Va., July 23, 2012

The writer teaches English and religion at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

To the Editor:

Mark Edmundson is right to point out the pedagogical limitations of online education, particularly in the case of undergraduate students. Equally troubling, however, is the threat that elite, resource-rich consortiums pose to the hundreds of small, private colleges across the land.

Facing a host of challenges, ranging from tiny endowments to shrinking enrollments, such colleges and universities are the pride of their communities.

It would be a sad day if they are driven out of business by corporate titans in distant towers of privilege. Much as in the world of retail, students may have access to cheaper courses online, but neither the students nor our nation would ultimately be the richer for it.

ANOUAR MAJID
Portland, Me., July 20, 2012

The writer is associate provost for global initiatives at the University of New England in Maine.

To the Editor:

The trouble with a regular college education is that it costs too much. Students are saddled with debts they will spend half their lives repaying.

I agree, there is no substitute for the interactive classroom. However, until the issue of runaway costs for higher education is addressed, students from poor and middle-class families, intent on getting a college education, will increasingly gravitate to these free, accredited Internet courses.

JUDITH LEVIN
Manchester, N.H., July 20, 2012

Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/opinion/learning-in-classrooms-versus-online.html?ref=educationandschools

http://www.languagecorpsasia.com

Whole Class Management Ideas

Whole Class Management Ideas.

Before you can involve your students in cooperative learning activities or other active engagement lessons, you'll need to establish clear procedures for classroom management. Feel free to tweak the strategies below to make them work for you!

Establish Procedures - Good classroom management is essential to effective cooperative learning. You'll need to have a clearly defined set of procedures so that the kids know your expectations. Don't even try to implement the "fun" teambuilders and classbuilders described in the next section unless you have a good grasp of classroom management. Think through every aspect of the day, to include use of restrooms, lining up for lunch, morning routines, dismissal procedures, etc. Ask a veteran teacher for ideas on managing these day-to-day routines effectively.

Create Classroom Rules - Involve your class in discussing the importance of rules and creating a set of class rules. Refer to the PDF file entitled Creating Classroom Rules for some ideas about how to do this in a cooperative classroom.

Use the Stoplight Management System or another effective whole-class management strategy - If you teach elementary school, you might want to look at the Stoplight Management System description on my website. I have used this management system with great success for about 10 years.

Implement a Quiet Signal - You'll need to have a fool-proof Quiet Signal. You can have a hand signal, a bell, a clicker, or even a rainstick! You need something that can get the students' attention in 3 to 5 seconds.

Work Zone Strategy - This simple technique gives students a visual to show your noise level expectations for specific activities. Use a large sheet of red, yellow, and green construction paper to simulate each color of a stop light. Write the words on each color as shown in the illustration. (Red - No Talking, Yellow - Whisper Voices, Green - Inside Voices). Introduce the Work Zone posters and discuss your expectations for different types of activities. Brainstorm situations that might be appropriate for each color. When you post one of the signs, say something like, "Our Work Zone color right now is yellow. You may use whisper voices to discuss how we use math in every day life." If students don't respect the Work Zone limits, have them pull a tag on your Stoplight board or use your existing management system. The colors just provide a visual reminder of your expectations. Assign a student to change it when you verbally signal a chance in acceptable noise levels.

Erase-a-Letter Strategy - If you feel your class is too noisy during cooperative learning activities, there are ways to teach them to control their noise level. Just use the Erase-a-Letter technique. Before you start a CL activity, write the word STOP on the board. Teach them how to whisper and how whispering sounds different from regular voices. After that, erase a letter from the word STOP on the board every time you hear anything above a whisper. When they lose all their letters, put an end to the CL activity and immediately move into individual seatwork. Let them know that if they want to do the CL activities they will have to work more quietly. About an hour later (or the next day if you don't have the kids all day), try another CL activity. If you reinforce this consistently, you'll find you can really manage the noise level.

Raffle Ticket Reward System - Sometimes students get into bad habits like blurting out comments or getting out of their seats without permission. They need something tangible to remind them to follow the classroom procedures. I have found that using raffle tickets helps tremendously. I give students 2 raffle tickets to start the day. They can't write their names on their tickets until the end of the day. If they break a classroom rule, I take a ticket. If they lose both tickets, the next time they disrupt the class, they have to pull a tag on the Stoplight board (described above). Students can also earn tickets for staying on task or doing excellent work. At the end of the day, I collect all tickets and do a drawing for a small prize, class money, or a treat. Friday is popcorn day - I pop a bag of microwave popcorn and draw out tickets to see who will share the popcorn. I keep the tickets all week and get rid of them Friday afternoon. You might not want to use this all year, but it does help students become aware of the frequency of their disruptive behaviors.

Behavior Reflections Form - This graphic organizer can help students determine the causes and effects of their disruptive behavior. Behavior Reflections Form - This graphic organizer can help students determine the causes and effects of their disruptive behavior.

Read more at http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/classmanage.php

http://www.languagecorpsasia.com