Teaching

The teaching section primarily focuses on how technology can be used to reform the entire process for training teachers at the university level, how instruction happens in the classroom itself, and also be used to improve the quality of ongoing professional development for teachers already in the field. The section also addresses the potential of technology to improve the experiences of students by offering instruction that is tailored to their social and emotional needs.
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Another theme that is discussed is the idea of using technology to combat teaching, and learning, in isolation. The report’s primary recommendation in this area is to foster the use of learning management systems as a means to promote coordinated teaching efforts, and to allow for the free exchange of ideas and information across departments, schools, and districts.

Tatum found multiple examples of how Connections Academy is already implementing the recommendations. For instance, Connections Academy’s Learning Management System (LMS) already provides our teachers, and students, with the functionality the report recommends. Through use of the Grade Book, Data View Exports, Webmail, the Student Log, and Personalized Learning Plans (PLP), Connections Academy’s teachers are able to quickly assess the progress of each student, and adapt their instructional methods as needed. Moreover, Tatum rightly points out that Connections Academy’s online teacher orientations, teacher message boards, school support team, and online professional development community allows teachers to learn and continually develop in tandem with their colleagues, effectively eliminating teaching and learning in isolation.

Marjorie found similar examples of ways Connections Academy is already implementing some of the recommendations in the report. For instance, Marjorie focused on the potential of technology to personalize learning, effectively removing the ethic of one-size-fits-all curriculum, fixed paces of learning, and stagnant instructional practices.

Two key components that are not developed in this section are the necessity of utilizing technology to provide educational choices that would allow students to find the learning environment they would need to achieve our target of having every student complete at least a year of higher education or post-secondary career training. The other omission from this section is that there is a subtext which indicates that comprehensive standards for online learning do not exist. To that end, Tatum suggested that a recommendation should be made to include the research on existing standards, such as those set by iNACOL.

(TEM) The Teaching chapter of NETP provides a deep examination of how educators should use technology to better develop learning communities, improve teaching technique and content, utilize data-driven instruction, and to best support their teaching practice individually and collectively as a team of connected educators. This section primarily focuses on using technology to reform the entire learning process for educators starting at university teacher training programs, to the actual classroom itself, to the methods and modes of professional development, to fostering the social and emotional needs of students and families. This chapter deeply discusses methods for utilizing technology to create a collaborative and transparent learning environment where there is equal access and open source learning management systems to foster a “connected” and “instrumented” classroom and learning community. Finally, it further explores the problem of teachers teaching and learning in isolation, teaching without standards and tools for utilizing technology or online instruction, the dire need for more effective teaching practices utilizing technology, and challenges the entire education system to not only focus on increased accountability for teachers but a greater focus and allocation of resources to “strengthen and elevate the teaching profession.” As I read through all sections of this chapter, I found multiple examples of how Connections Academy is already implementing the recommendations. The article suggests teachers utilize open source learning management systems to develop their online community. The article should also challenge these open source systems already available to teachers to provide better tools for extracting and analyzing data. Connections Academy’s robust Learning Management System (LMS) provides teachers the technological tools to manage their student’s learning and social emotional well being, communicate in a manner that students are accustom to, access lessons and learning 24/7, provide direct and interactive feedback on assessments, individualize and modify learning for a single student or on a classroom basis, conduct Personalized Learning Plans (PLP) and adjust them according to data and student needs, foster and provide a connected online community for students, staff, parents, and teachers, but most importantly it allows teachers to have student progress data at their fingertips through Dataview Exports and a comprehensive Grade Book. The Dataview Exports and the Grade Book allow teachers to examine student accountability measures and trends in learning, it also provides the means to self manage and analyze their own teacher tasks. The LMS data capabilities allow teachers, administration, and authorizers to quickly and easily analyze any type of educational data in a systematic and intuitive manner. Connections Academy’s Online Teacher Orientation Courses, on demand trainings, teacher message boards, school support team and help desk, and online professional development community allows teachers to learn and develop when it is convenient for them in a community of learners, not in isolation! Live Lesson Sessions provide teachers with the technological tools to incorporate direct instruction in a manner that students respond to, allows for guest speakers, virtual field trips, interaction amongst learners, and provides a way for teachers to teach to multiple modalities of learners. Through our national private academy (NACA) as well as some of our state run programs, we are ready and able to solve the problem of districts not having experienced or certified teachers in advanced subject areas or the means to provide and develop courses beyond the basics so students can be better prepared for college and the demands of the competitive employment market. Schools and districts can access what is already developed and proven as highly effective through Connections Academy online courses. This chapter challenged the educational system and experienced online educators to develop standards and best practices for K-12 online courses, as well as online teaching. Connections Academy has developed a career ladder system which allows experienced teachers to mentor new teachers, a performance management system which clearly evaluates best practices and expectations, guidelines and best practices for being a Connections Academy Teacher, and a School Support Team which uses technology and face to face interactions to provide professional development and ongoing training. A suggested addition would be to reference the research and developed standards already in place though iNACOL. The article implies that the development of standards for online learning and teaching are moot, when in fact there has been a great deal of research and collaboration already in place to develop and frequently enhance the standards.

The Learning section recognizes that technology empowered personalized learning must replace"one-size-fits-all curriculum, pace of teaching, and instructional practices. A key component not developed in this section is the necessity of utilizing technology to provide educational options and choices inorder to achieve the target of having every student complete at least a year of higher education or postseconday career training. It states the obvious that we must first reduce the number of high school dropouts. While technology is clearly not going to "stop" every dropout, technology and the educational choices that it provides are critical to reaching out to students who for a multitude of reasons are not being successful in traditional high school options.