4 Concepts Reflection Portfolio by C. Brownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73 Corey Brownell en-us 2020-08-02 18:41:28 UTC 2026-01-29 10:53:38 UTC hello@padlet.com Transactional Distance coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467351 At its best, a remote learning course will lessen the transactional distance between students and teachers by allowing for more dialogue and interaction (McIsaac and Gunawardena, 2001). 

My goal with remote learning this past spring was to make sure that I contacted students and parents at least once per week if I had not heard from them or seen them online. I had some succes with this, but there were still some students and parents that I was not able to reach by email and phone. In the fall, I would like to set up at least one face-to-face session per week with each student or a group of students on my caseload if it is allowed by my district to do so. If we are fully remote to start the school year, this will be the expectation from the beginning. Interacting with students and trying to build a relationship is going to be essential for success this school year. 


]]> 2020-08-02 18:46:53 UTC https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467351 Interaction coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467611 There are four types of interaction: Learner-instructor, Learner-content, Learner-learner, and Learner-interface. The most obvious of these are learner-instructor and learner-learner. Learner-instructor focuses on the interaction between the teacher and the student. Learner-learner is how students interact with each other and exchange ideas. I must admit that I had never really put much thought into learner-content and learner-interface. Learner-content is what the student gains from the learning materials and learner-interface is the interaction between the student and the technology being used (McIsaac and Gunawardena, 2001). 

The latter two are of the utmost importance when it comes to distance learning. For distance learning to be the most impactful, students need to be able to access and understand how to use the technology and then gain new knowledge and skills from it. 

Backchannel Chat (link below) is a great resource for students to interact with their classmates and the teacher. I plan on using it to facilitate interaction for my students that might be unwilling to share their ideas over live video. ]]> 2020-08-02 18:47:38 UTC https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467611 Learner Control coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467861 In short, McIsaac and Gunawardena (2001) see learner control as being key to student progress. Students must feel that they are in control of their learning and that other factors outside of their control are not going to impact their academic success. 

Students should be given choice whether it be through a choice board on a project or by giving them the option to record a Flipgrid rather than write or type an assignment as in my lesson below. 


]]> 2020-08-02 18:48:49 UTC https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467861 Social Presence coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467934 Remote learning courses must be designed in a way that students feel comfortable sharing ideas, participating, and just being present. Students must feel like their ideas and contributions matter (McIsaac and Gunawardena, 2001). Thus, courses should utilize as many different modalities and ways for students to show what they know as possible.  

Many of the students that I work with struggle in the areas of reading and writing. I need to be cognizant of that fact when working with other teachers to design remote learning courses. Students should not only be working on a Google Doc, sending emails, etc. They need to have face-to-face interaction and expand on their understanding verbally.

]]> 2020-08-02 18:49:09 UTC https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667467934 Reflection on my growth coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667468353 As I begin to reflect back on my growth as I complete this course, I know that I can confidently say that I can both design and implement remote learning that will be engaging and exciting for my students. The "Four Distance Learning Theoretical Concepts" by McIsaac and Gunawardena (2001) have opened my eyes to how distance learning goes beyond just the student-teacher interaction, as I have detailed in posts 1-4. I also will look to implement the best practices that we've learned from resources such as Harvard University (2020). Some that stood out for me were experimenting with new teaching methods and tools, establishing norms and expectations, and promoting the use of breaks. It is so important for students to know that it is okay to take a break. I built breaks into our remote learning schedule this past spring, but I want to make sure students know from the start that it is not only recommended but necessary. It is so easy to burnout from all of the screen time. I also would like to continue trying out new tools and expanding my online teaching repertoire. I know that it is not the end of the world if a new technology fails. It is all a learning process and after establishing norms and expectations, I hope that my students will see and understand that I am trying to enrich their remote learning experience and will persevere with me through the various bumps in the road, so to speak. 

One of the most difficult pieces of remote learning for the team of teachers that I work with was trying to help parents navigate Google Classroom and other LMS that we used. I plan on bringing my LMS guide back to my team as a starting point to help solve this problem. 

Perhaps most important of all is the distinction between and importance of synchronous and asynchronous learning. My school relied too heavily on asynchronous learning once it closed in March and I intend on using what I've learned in this course to help other teachers develop synchronous learning opportunties further. This is especially important as we begin a new school year and might have to form relationships with students online that we have never interacted with in person before. These lessons must be engaging and assessments must be varied and provide students with immediate and useful feedback.

Ultimately, I know that remote learning is viewed by many as being lesser than in-person instruction. While nothing quite matches the impact teachers can have on students when they are in direct contact with them, effective remote learning as we have learned to implement in this course can mirror in-person instruction and even give students more opportunities to show what they know. These opportunities can come through choice boards or even just by making a simple modification by giving a student who struggles with writing the ability to make a Flipgrid video. Remote learning is what you make of it and I am ready to take on the challenge.

 ]]> 2020-08-02 18:50:44 UTC https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667468353 References coreybrownell https://padlet.com/coreybrownell/97xukugc4t2pmf73/wish/667484665 Asuza Pacific University. (n.d.). Overcoming Transactional Distance. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjFD3enZaRc

Chat, B. (n.d.). Live Chat for Classrooms. Retrieved August 04, 2020, from http://backchannelchat.com/

Garcia-O'Neill, E. (2016, January 15). Social Presence In Online Learning: 7 Things Instructional Designers Can Do To Improve It. Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://elearningindustry.com/social-presence-in-online-learning-7-things-instructional-designers-can-improve


McIsaac, M. S., & Gunawardena, C. N. (2001). Distance Education. In D. H. Jonassen 
(Ed.), Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology. Association for Educational Communications and Technology. http://members.aect.org/edtech/ed1/13/index.html


Teach Remotely. (2020). The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 
https://teachremotely.harvard.edu 



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