Welcome and Introductions to Online Resource Microgroup

Welcome aboard, everyone! This week marks the start of our work together in what is expected to be about 25 weeks of rewarding experiences. We have two primary goals this week: 

1. Continue to spread the word to our peers and through social media to help build as diverse a group as we can. "Many hands make light work" and we are all going to learn so much from each other! This is going to be fun and productive and we want to include as many others as we can. To help in this effort, please feel free to either drop the invitation link or copy and paste the contents from the introduction link into your social media and digital connections. Link to Introduction thread: https://community.lincs.ed.gov/discussion/new-micro-group-starting-soon-online-tools-and-resource-evaluation

2. Let's get to know each other more this week. Sure we all have profiles on LINCS (or if you have not done that you might find time to fill that in this week too), but a simple profile listing may not really share as much as discourse with each other could provide. 

To facilitate goal #2, I have constructed some questions you may wish to include in your introduction. As with any forum, interaction is really the fuel that keeps things moving so please feel comfortable responding to each person's post as you feel appropriate. 

Questions:

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.
  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?
  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

Looking forward to learning more about our great community members!

Comments

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

Imagine a puppy and the traits one associates with a puppy...O.K. now you know a bit about my personality. In the work worlds I am an adult educator (Math and technology), I am a state CCRS math lead person for Maine, I consult with many educational organizations and businesses, and I am always striving to find ways to help support the many educators out there trying to make a positive change in the lives of other.

In terms of play, I have studied games all my life and have amassed a collection of all sorts of games (non digital and digital). I believe that much of the mathematics curriculum goals can be achieved through game study, game theory, and game design and I play with possibilities every day to help foster these thoughts. 

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

Positive: So many options are available in terms of how we can learn, how we can practice and how we can express what we have been learning

Challenges: How the heck can we keep up not only with all the new options that show up but with how we can use each item effectively. 

  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

Gosh, only one wish? I wish there was some way we could offer a truly standards based educational model that is structured on what is effective rather than what has been established in other systems or models. This standards system would be dependent not on time or grades or any of those constructs. Learners simply demonstrate an accepted level of competence (established by educators) in contextualizing learned skills and knowledge into the passions they have in life (college, career, hobbies, social involvements ...). 

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

I am the moderator of the Technology and Learning, and Program Management CoPs on LINCS. I have worked for many years in adult basic education professional development. I am also a researcher and writer, and have this year published a book on blended learning (free, online at http://www.passged.com/educators/blended-learning.php ) I am passionate about the use of (especially free) online tools and resources by adult education teachers and tutors and am looking forward to suggesting a few and learning a lot about those suggested by others. In my spare time I love to swim, kayak, hike and climb. I am also a folk musician in a band I started decades ago, called the Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society.

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

Positive: They have greatly expanded the kinds and range of ways that adults (and others) can learn things

Challenge: It's hard to figure out what's the best (or even a good) tool to use for a given purpose or objective.

  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

Every learner would learn how to be successful in a wide range of online learning opportunities.

 

David J. Rosen

djrosen123@gmail.com

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

Like all of you, I wear many hats :-)  I work at Portland State University in the department of Applied Linguistics where I teach in the MA TESOL and TESL Certificate programs.  I mainly teach pedagogy courses.  I am also a member of the Literacy, Language & Technology Research group in the same department.  We conduct research and do projects on the topic of digital literacy acquisition in vulnerable populations.  In this group we created, use and support Learner Web.  I am a LINCS trainer in adult ESL, and I work in professional development projects for adult ESL teachers, including ELLU and LINCS ESL Pro.  I also teach adult ESL as often as possible.  I really like what I do :-)  On the personal front I spend time with my college-age kids, husband and 2 dogs.  I am an enthusiastic organic gardener.

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

On the positive side I think that the digital resources create the potential for communication between teachers on a larger scale than has been possible before, which is a real benefit to teacher professional development.  I think that everyone (including me) is still trying to figure out the best way to support professional communication in virtual settings.

On the challenge side, we (including me) all get excited about the potential for digital resources and tend to focus on the digital resource itself.  I think that this makes it hard for teachers to figure out how to expand instruction appropriately, focused on goals and objectives, in a way that leverages the affordances of the digital resource(s).  I think that this is a real problem for teachers who want to incorporate digital resources into their instruction.

I'd like to find ways to support teachers in their learning, respecting what they already do and helping them to feel good about expanding their practices.

Welcome aboard Kathy and thank you for sharing your thoughts on the questions. I wanted to support your challenge as an ultra important consideration for us all in the work we are doing. So many educators focus on, "Last year I learned how to use Word!" and then when you dig deeper to find out how they use the technology, the excitement, energy and usefulness drops off quick. Sadly, many technology INSTRUCTORS are just that, they go through the script to ensure they "cover" all the features of a technology. In contrast, training that is sustained and focuses on general and specific uses for a technology will have a much greater impact on the options learners are presented in their education. 

Thank you again for bring up this very important thought we may all keep in mind as we begin sorting and sifting in the next few weeks. Not only will we be looking at what exists, we will need to be thinking about how those items could/should/might be used. 

You asked us to tell what we do for fun - joke around is one thing I do, hence the subject line :> I find family, nature and especially animals, cooking/eating food, and travel fun as well. Glad to meet new folks and collaborate with you and previously-met folks! I've been in the field, mostly ESOL, for 20ish years, teaching and doing PD offline and online. Integrating tech has always been an interest. A positive about tech: Empowerment for those with access (in all meanings of 'access'). A negative: That pesky digital divide, both for students and programs. A wish: Even out the divide.

Welcome aboard Diana! Your focus on the digital divide is one that many feel is a large negative and a useful wish. Your thoughts got me thinking about other skill sets and how we humans have such a wide range of abilities with almost every other skill set. In Basketball, we have those that can barely dribble and then we go up to the Michael Jordans of the world. In finance, we have people that are way over their heads in the debt trap and then we have the financial moguls that seem to have the financial world under their fingers. With every other skill set I can think of, we all acknowledge there is a wide divide, but when we think about technology, we seem to be very alarmed and concerned about our educators and learners "keeping up" with something. Are there other skills sets that draw any where near as much attention to "keeping up" as technology? Perhaps climbing out of poverty might garner as much, if not more, focus and anxiety for at least half of our population. What do others think? What is it about technology in education that causes more of a focus on divide than in other critical areas of our lives? 

Hi Ed, Excellent point about poverty being the reason behind many of our students' difficulties getting an education and why they don't have better jobs already. Maybe one reason poverty isn't top on some folks' agenda is our culture's emphasis on individual responsibility, especially when it comes to one's economic status.

Hi, Ed - 

Thanks for getting us started with the introductions.  My responses are below each question.

Questions:

·   Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

For starters, I am the moderator for the Disabilities in Adult Education and Career Pathways communities here on LINCS.  I’m also a resource specialist in a K-12/Adult Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school.  In this role, I support CTE content area teachers in meeting the academic needs of students with disabilities, and English Language Learners.  I’m energized by working with learners on the path to becoming advocates for their own education, both in the classroom and the workplace.

·   When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

Positive:  The biggest positive to technology for many learners I’ve worked with is how integrated it is in our society.  Technology has the power to provide real and meaningful accommodations and supports for students, without the stigma that learners sometimes feel when these support and accommodations are provided in other formats.

Challenge:  The biggest challenge is keeping on top of the growing tide of resources, matching students with the best resources for their needs, and then supporting them in overcoming any learning curve associated with using new technology.

·   Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

I would wish for more opportunities for contextualized learning to support learners in acquiring academic skills and applying them to ‘real world’, work-based scenarios.  I believe that technology can be that magic wand, because of its prevalence across most academic and work-based learning environments. 

Thanks to Ed and Michael for getting us started! Your experiences interesting in different ways, I really like how you all emphasized contextualized learning. Here's my take on the three questions proposed by Ed:

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

I am currently the Director of Research and Evaluation for a young non-profit called Strong Minds Rise Together (SMRT). We are affiliated with a family of companies that consults school systems on how to improve. Our approach really centers around implementing a strong social and emotional pedagogy where possible, while also emphasizing all the ways we can connect education to a clear pathway. In this role I have explored many topics within education, including neurology, psychology, and economics. I come from a back ground of economics and political science, but have greatly enjoyed learning about the field of education.

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

Positive: The way technology has revolutionized the way and amount of information we can access. With all that information just sitting there on the internet, answers to the many challenges faced within education can now be found very quickly. 

Negative: How to tell which tools/reforms are legitimate and which one's aren't? With so many options out there, schools are facing increased challenges in choosing the best resources/options to suit their needs.

  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

Funding for universal high-quality early education programs. The early years are foundational to later life successes.

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

Hi! Thanks for getting this group going. I've been working in the field of adult ESL for nearly 20 years. I've taught in virtually any classroom model and context available. I've been thinking about technology use and digital access for several years now, which led me a doctoral program in Curriculum & Instruction. My focus of study is second language education and my minor is learning technologies. Currently my energy is nearly all focused on my preliminary exams and dissertation prep. When I'm not reading and writing for that, I teach in the U of MN's TESL minor program, consult with a few organizations on tech ed matters, do yoga, listen to my kids play music, or walk my dog. 

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?

My positive is also my challenge: the ubiquity of technologies and their capacity to keep us connected (communicating, sharing info, sharing art, etc). I love how it makes it more possible for migrants to lead transnational, multilingual lives and have access to resources to help with daily life and learning. The ubiquity of those resources is also one of the greatest challenges - one I hope this group will help mitigate!

  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

I wish I had won the Powerball lottery (OK, I guess I should have played). Seriously, though, I'm most concerned about resources and finding ways to empower teachers to best leverage what they have in front of them.

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.
  •     I am an "academic development specialist" at Parkland College.   I *mostly* tutor students in pre-college level courses, adn try to squeeze out time to create and find resources, too. 
  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, what is one positive and one challenge (and stick to only 1 of each) these resources provide to adult education?   
    • Positive is that there's so much more access to everything  -- though not as much more as people are wont to pretend sometimes.
    • Challenge:   you only get that access if you can figure out the stuff. I k now we are losing students who come to college ... and simply get overwhelmed trying to navigate the highly complex paths to the things they're required to complete; meanwhile, Joe Other Student has figured out a way to cheat the system... and himself. 
  • Someone has given you a magic wand that can only work for one wish. What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?   I wish this stuff weren't so hard to navigate. 

Hi all,

I am the Director of the EdTech Center at World Education and lead World Education E-Learning as well as working on various other technology projects, such as being educational technologist for LINCS Region l.  Many years ago I taught high school, but more recently past taught ELLs in community college and numerous CBO’s. I have a M.Ed. and a graduate certificate in instructional technology design and have co-­authored books on technology integration into instruction, in fact two with micro group member, Diana Satin.

·         What is one positive and one challenge these resources provide to adult education?

I am going to twist this a tad since some of you already indicated in one way or another the positive of having so many online tools available is on the flip side a negative of having all too many tools. I think the positive is that Ed’s and our effort here is what the field is calling for and that this resource will have incredible potential to impact our field. But as David said, It's hard to figure out what's the best (or even a good) tool to use for a given purpose or objective.  In my experience more recently the real challenge is that often people expect tools to do be easy to learn and use and yet be robust enough to do everything.  It is not impossible, of course, it is but not an easy task. And that it sometime means supporting others with that expectation and offering instead of tool and a toolbox. And that so brings it back to why this will be so great!

·         What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?

Okay you asked for it: A magic motivation pill that made teachers, books, tools, resources instantly seem engaging no matter what the content or delivery system was. 

Looking forward to working with you all,

Steve Quann

Hi all, Somehow I missed the announcement that this was starting. Just catching up now- Here's my intro:

  • Who are you? We all wear many hats. Share some of the ways you spend your energy both in terms of business and pleasure.

           In the past 2 years I've become a champion of mobile learning for reaching the hardest to reach lower-skill adults and extending learning for those who can attend. I spend my work days picking my colleague's brains at the EdTech center at World Ed or at other non-profits I'm lucky to work with: Cell-Ed (mobile learning through text + audio instruction) & Building Skills Partnership (SEIU joint labor-management training fund for janitors in CA). I spend my weekends kicking and watching my family kicking soccer balls while sometimes catching our dog Pele as she rolls her eyes at our inadequate soccer skills.

  • When you think about all the digital resources available today, 

           what is one positive? So many are becoming mobile!

           and one challenge? sharing what is available with all those out there who could benefit from them!

  • What one wish would you make that would in some way improve learner successes?     

          Echoing Diana here, but more equity in our society so adult learners can focus on learning and not on day to day survival.